Enemy Lines
by JakeTheCat
Summary: They were born to be enemies, but are determined to rewrite their destiny. How two rivals learned to understand one another and how the adventures they share end up leading to something bigger than either of them could have ever anticipated. Title subject to change.
1. Chapter 1

The first time they met it was raining. Then again, it wasn't uncommon for it to rain in Noxus.

She was doing one of her usual patrols outside of the capitol, a drab cloak her only protection from the rain. There was a small grove of trees not too far ahead and she figured it would be alright for her to seek some shelter there momentarily. Not like she was going to find much today in this weather.

A lazy whistle escaped her lips and was quickly answered by a loud cry from the sky.

"He's probably more uncomfortable than I am," she mumbled as she hurried towards the trees.

Valor normally loved flying but this weather made it difficult for him to enjoy. He probably needed to take a break more than she did. Her whistle had indicated that it was time to rest for a bit and he didn't hesitate to swoop down into the thick branches of the trees.

Autumn meant that the leaves were sparse and made it difficult to hide out from the rain, but she managed to find a spot under a tall oak that kept her from being completely soaked. It was the best she could get and at this point she'd take anything to escape the constant downpour.

She set her crossbow at her side and began to rub her gloved hands together, hoping that some amount of friction would spark even the slightest amount of warmth between them. When that failed she reached for the journal she kept strapped to her side and removed the piece of paper she'd stuffed inside.

"Maybe they're right?" she sighed, "Maybe it is him after all."

As she studied the piece of paper for the hundredth time she still had her doubts. They were orders from King Jarvan himself, something she'd never received before and couldn't quite believe had been entrusted to her. He sought for the capture of a Noxian assassin that had taken the lives of four higher ups among the Demacian military and attempted to go after the king himself. The only thing wrong was the culprit.

She read his name over and over again, shaking her head. It wasn't right. He wasn't sloppy like that, nor was he stupid enough to directly attack the King of Demacia. She'd been studying him for months, listening to accounts from eye witnesses to his work as well as personally seeing the aftermath of what he'd done. A clear image had been painted in her mind; he was quick and precise, hardly leaving a trace that he'd even existed at the scenes of each crime. He was also impossibly annoying to track.

She'd never been able to see his face, the most she'd seen was his hooded silhouette at a distance. There was a crude sketch of him accompanying the orders, but it was unable to depict his face. Just a scary, hooded figure. That didn't give her a lot to go off of.

King Jarvan had noted that the assassin was believed to be heading towards Golden Crossing. And yet here the scout was, in a completely different place.

Too obvious, she thought.

He'd never go somewhere that could be predicted; he was aware of every move his enemy made and was always two steps ahead of them.

Garen had insisted that Golden Crossing was where they would find the culprit and had laughed at her when she suggested otherwise. But she managed to convince the prince and so he had given her permission to follow her own lead.

And look how that turned out.

She didn't know how long she sat under that goddamn tree. It felt like it could've been days by the time the rain started to let up.

Her dark hair still clung to the sides of her face, icy and damp on her cheeks. Her body was numb after being still and cold for so long. She needed to get up and moving before she genuinely froze to death there. She sincerely hoped that Valor was doing better.

As she reached for her crossbow, a deafening screech pierced the air, putting her on alert immediately. That had been Valor calling to her, warning her of a nearby threat. And from how loud and urgent he'd been, that threat had to be very close.

She flung herself down at her crossbow, rolling over onto her back and aiming it straight up at the tree that had been shielding her for so long. Sure enough, Valor's cry had been warranted.

A hooded figure sat among the branches, staring directly at her.

She went to pull the trigger on her crossbow but her fingers were so raw and numb that she couldn't even feel the trigger beneath them. How could she let her guard down so easily? What a stupid way to go.

"I'll be honest, I didn't think your little friend would be able to see me up here with all this rain."

She wasn't dead. Odd. Why wasn't he killing her?

As she tried to understand what exactly was going on, Valor darted from his perch in the trees and went to his partner's side, shielding her from the stranger and shrieking angrily at him.

"Hey, you caught me fair and square. I'm actually kind of impressed."

The figure suddenly hopped down from his branch, causing Valor to instantly shriek at him again and ruffle his feathers.

"Can you call off the attack bird?" the stranger asked, "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it by now."

He was right. Why he hadn't killed her was still a mystery, but she wasn't in the position to be questioning his motives. Plus, with the state she was in, she wouldn't be able to help Valor if he decided to attack said stranger and then they'd both be dead.

"Valor, stand down," she said weakly.

The eagle made a confused noise as he looked back at her, but upon seeing her nod her head reassuringly, he shuffled to the side.

The man was hard to see, blurred by the constant rain getting in the scout's eyes as she tried to make out a shape. There was a hood and a cape but that was all she could be sure of.

"Who are you?" she asked, slowly flexing her fingers. The feeling was beginning to return to her body.

The man didn't answer, just stepped closer and looked down at her.

He was tall she realized, taller than she had expected. The blue cloak looked slightly darker from the rainwater that soaked it, but she was still able to recognize it.

She wasn't sure why she had asked him about his identity – it wasn't like he was going to willingly answer her. Perhaps she just wanted to hear him say it, to know that she was right. Until then, she would have her doubts.

An unimpressed snort came from the hooded figure upon hearing her question, and instead he turned and looked at the journal that had been dropped and instead replaced by a crossbow. Wordlessly, he picked it up and found the paper the scout had just been looking at.

"So, you're the one who's been following me all this time."

His words were sinister, yet the woman could've sworn that she heard him laugh under his breath. Her hands had regained their feeling and she managed to find the trigger again, hovering just above it.

"A Demacian scout…" he muttered, "Can't say I'm surprised. Though Jarvan would be disappointed about losing yet another soldier."

So, he did plan on killing her. That was her cue.

Her finger pulled back on the trigger, firing a bolt straight at his chest. What followed afterwards was a blur. He'd moved so quickly she wasn't sure if he was actually human.

The bolt whizzed past his arm as he stepped to the side, a low growl from his throat sending a shiver down the scout's spine. In an instant, the crossbow had been knocked away, a strong hand clasping around her neck and hoisting her into the air. As she gasped for a breath he pressed her against the trunk of the tree, bringing up his free arm to display the enormous blade he was so well known for using. Valor shrieked and lunged to attack, but saw that his partner would be killed if he attempted to intervene. He let a low hiss as he glared at the assassin, ruffling his feathers.

"I said I wasn't going to kill you, why'd you go and do that?" he sighed, bringing the blade closer to her face.

She could only gasp for air in response, clawing at his hand violently in hopes of escape. His grip relaxed slightly but the blade remained, hovering just below her chin.

"How did you find me?" she asked as she gasped for air, sighing with relief as oxygen filled her lungs once again.

"I should be asking you the same question," he hissed.

A small smirk played at her lips; he was annoyed that someone had been able to track him down. She'd never exactly caught him, but still she had managed to accomplish something.

"King Jarvan believes you're responsible for the murder of multiple Demacian officials," she answered, "So I'm here to stop you from continuing your reign of terror."

He was silent for a moment. His face was hidden by his hood, only his mouth partially visible, refusing to allow any emotion show that might hint at what he was thinking.

"Of course, I know that's not true," she continued.

The assassin made the same unimpressed noise as before.

"And how do you know that?"

Her smirk grew. She knew that she had to put on a brave face in front of him. He could practically smell the fear on his victims. So even if she was scared out of her mind, she had to at least pretend she was confident.

"The style's all wrong. This guy eviscerated his victims, went to town on them. You're quite the opposite. A quick, clean cut to the throat and that's all… It seems that you don't like to leave a mess. Plus, I can't imagine you doing something as high profile as attempting to assassinate the king himself. You're too smart for that."

She couldn't see it, but she swore that he raised an eyebrow at this answer.

"How do you know all of this?"

His voice had changed; it wasn't as confident or sinister as it had been. It was almost as if he didn't understand what she was saying, like she was speaking a different language.

"I've been watching you for a while, Talon."

The blade instantly pressed up against her cheek, a small sting causing her to flinch. Yet she remained steadfast as she felt the blood trickle down her skin, her eyes unwavering as she realized that she had finally caught her prey.

"You're smarter than most Demacians, I'll give you that, birdbrain."

"I'm honored. The name's Quinn, by the way."

He scoffed as he pulled the blade back ever so slightly, tilting his head as he looked at her. This was new to him. He'd never encountered anyone like this before. He was used to them crying and begging for their lives when he interrogated them. But she was different.

"You're strange," he said after a while, "But you're also the only one to ever make it this far. It'd be a shame if I let this game of cat and mouse end so soon, don't you think?"

She remained silent, wishing she could see the face under the hood. To know what he looked like, the face of the man she'd sought after for so long. It almost wasn't fair. It was like he was teasing her.

"I'll take that as a yes. In that case, 'til next time, birdie."

Quinn had barely blinked by the time he'd disappeared and she took a moment to catch her breath before looking around for any traces of him. Of course, there were none.

Valor quickly raced to her side and cawed at her, asking if she was alright.

"I'm fine, just a scratch," she assured as she pet the eagle on his head, "Besides, he was just doing it to show off."

The bird flapped his wings slightly, leaning his head towards her hand in order to get more scratches.

"He didn't exactly say it, but I'm pretty sure he's not the culprit the king's looking for."

Valor cawed in agreement. Quinn's hand moved down to stroke his back, tilting her head up to look into the tree branches.

"Now to find him again."


	2. Chapter 2

Their next meeting was under significantly different circumstances.

It had been about a week or so since their first exchange, and Quinn decided that the best way to spy on Noxians was to go inside the heart of Noxus.

For once the rain had stopped, which she was grateful for. At least her cloak wouldn't be drenched this time. It wasn't much of a disguise, but it was about all she had. Jarvan had sent her in an attempt to find the assassin again, since neither she nor Garen were able to do so.

She was still convinced that Talon wasn't the one they were looking for, but perhaps he had some information that could prove beneficial in her search.

Despite the rain's absence, the sky was still dark from the countless gray clouds that engulfed it. Quinn didn't understand how people could live in a place that was so gloomy and depressing all the time. No wonder they were known for being heatless killers – anyone would be if they had to live here.

She'd sent Valor on a patrol around the border of the capitol, knowing that he would draw too much attention if he were to be spotted inside the city. Being alone definitely made her nervous; she and Valor were a team and she hardly ever went anywhere without him. But she couldn't avoid blowing her cover, not when she was in an area full of people who hated Demacians.

For a while she merely wandered the streets, occasionally stopping and asking passersby questions about the area. She claimed to be visiting from Zaun as it was one of the few places Noxians didn't hate. Most of them were blunt with their answers and seemed less than interested in what she had to say.

So much for trying to find out anything from the common folk. She'd have to find someone higher up who knew more.

She found her thoughts drifting to Talon, wondering if he was even in Noxus right now. He'd spared her life, so maybe he wasn't all that bad. Perhaps if they met again she could convince him to help her find this assassin – after all, he was giving Talon a bad reputation. She felt like the man wouldn't appreciate having his name tarnished; his ego wouldn't allow it.

It took her a while to realize that she was being followed. Again, her first thought was of Talon, probably recognizing her and deciding to kill her once and for all.

But as she managed to sneak a look behind her, she could immediately tell that it wasn't him. Instead she saw two large men slowly walking several paces behind her. For a moment, she hoped it was a coincidence, but when she turned a corner unexpectedly they followed suit.

Her stomach flipped. She didn't know why they were following her, but it was now certain that she was their target.

As she quickened her pace she noticed a few barrels on the side of the street next to a bar. It wasn't much, but it was about all she had at this point. The stalkers had quickened their pace with her and she knew that she didn't have much time.

Passing the bar, she hastily knocked over the barrels and made a run for it, unsure of her destination but knowing that she had to get out of there.

"Get her!"

She turned her head to see that one of the men had tripped over the barrels she knocked over, but the other was chasing after her. Quinn directed her attention forward and pushed her legs to take longer strides.

Shit he was fast for his size, she thought. His friend had gotten up by now, doing his best to catch up.

Quinn continued to run, having no idea where she was going. She was unfamiliar with Noxus and couldn't keep running forever.

There was a cross street ahead, so she quickly turned down it in hopes of losing the stalkers.

Bad idea.

She'd cornered herself into an alley that had no escapes, just walls several feet high. This couldn't be it, could it? She ran to the end of the alley and pressed her hands against the cold stone. Of course, nothing was going to happen, it was a wall.

"You!"

She whipped her head around and saw the two Noxians making their way towards her.

"Um, is there something I can do for you?" she asked.

Maybe they had the wrong person. Maybe she actually could try to talk her way out of this.

"People been saying some little mouse has been pestering them," one said, "with too many questions. Sounded suspicious. Maybe a Demacian spy found their way inside Noxus. Perhaps it was you?"

Shit. She hadn't been careful enough. She should've known not to ask too many questions. Though she wasn't expecting anyone to find out she was Demacian, now she had no way to talk herself out of this.

She reached behind her back for her crossbow slowly, trying to think of a miracle. Taking one of them out would be easy enough but with two things were a little more difficult.

"I'll take that silence as a yes," the other once chuckled, "You know we Noxians don't appreciate trespassers. Especially the Demacian kind."

They both reached for the daggers on their belts and Quinn knew that was her signal. She whipped out her crossbow and fired a bolt into one of the thug's arms, causing him to cry out in pain and drop the dagger he'd just brandished.

"You little-!"

The non-injured one charged at her, as the other one crumpled to the ground to tend to his arm. Quinn quickly ducked and rolled beneath the attacker, jumping to her feet and firing another bolt off into the shoulder of the man she'd evaded. He cried out as well and began to reach for the bolt to pull it out.

With him distracted, Quinn began to make her escape out of the alley, only to feel a searing pain in her side as the other man slashed her with his dagger. She gasped in pain and stumbled forward a few feet, clutching her side and feeling the warm blood run through her clothes.

Despite the bolt in his arm, the attacker had managed to get hold of his dagger again and slash her side while she ran from his partner. He cackled as he got up, eyeing Quinn hungrily. She'd hobbled a few more steps before collapsing on the ground, the pain in her side blazing too much for her to continue running.

"Demacian bitch," the man growled, "I'm gonna show you what we do with whores like you."

Quinn knew that she had to do something. It was now or never. Her crossbow had fallen not far from her; if she let go of her side she could reach for it and probably nail the Noxian between the eyes before he could get on top of her. She wasn't sure what she'd do with the other one if that were to happen, but she didn't have the luxury of thinking that far ahead.

With a deep breath, the scout bit her lip and threw her torso towards her crossbow, crying out as she felt the wound in her side open wider and spill more blood. Her hands grasped the bow and as she turned back to aim, she heard something fly through the air.

At first, she thought that she had fired her bow early and that she had ruined any chances of escape. But her finger was still on the trigger, having never flinched. And yet the attacker had stopped.

Confused, she looked to see that there was indeed something between the man's eyes but it wasn't her bolt. It was a long, sharp blade that had gone directly through his skull. There was a moment of nothingness and then his corpse collapsed to the side motionless with a thud, causing Quinn to flinch.

"Hey, who the fuck-?"

The other man had started yelling at something behind Quinn, only for another blade to soar through the air and hit him directly between the eyes just like his partner.

Quinn could only stare at the two corpses on the ground in shock.

"They got you pretty good, didn't they bird brain?"

That familiar dark voice snapped her back into reality and as she looked behind her she only became more confused.

Talon.

"I could've handled it myself," she muttered bitterly.

"You know, most people just say thank you."

She merely offered him a sarcastic grin. Sure, she was grateful for his arrival, but he didn't have to know that. She wouldn't let him know that.

As she attempted to get up, the searing pain shot up her side and she felt as though the wind had gotten knocked out of her.

Talon, unaware of the severity of her injury, was caught off guard by her pained cry and looked at her confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You mean you didn't see that guy slice me open?" she gasped, pressing her hands against her side in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

In all honesty, he hadn't. He'd known she was in Noxus as she wasn't as stealthy as she thought she was, so he'd decided to follow her a bit. Of course, once he stopped was when all the excitement happened and he quickly went back to find her once he heard all the commotion.

Instead of offering a witty comeback, he walked up to the injured girl and knelt down beside her, earning a confused glance from the Demacian.

"Let me see," he said curtly.

Quinn continued to just stare at him as if he was insane.

"If you don't let me see, I can't help you. Or would you rather bleed out?"

She bit her lip and slowly removed her hand from her side, wincing and muttering something Talon assumed was a swear under her breath.

The gash was fairly large, but luckily it hadn't gone too deep.

"Hang on," he mumbled.

Quinn watched as he tore some of the fabric from his shirt and began to reach for her wound. She flinched involuntarily, but he didn't seem to notice. His face was still hidden by that damn hood of his so Quinn had no idea what he could possibly be thinking. Here he was, a Noxian assassin wrapping a bandage around an injured Demacian that had been hunting him down.

"Why?" she asked.

He paused for a moment, then tied the fabric off around her waist.

"I assume you mean why did I save you?" he asked, a soft chuckle under his breath.

When she didn't answer, he continued.

"Well, we have a pretty nice game of cat and mouse going on right now. I figured it'd be boring to let it end so soon."

He leaned back and Quinn was able to catch a glimpse of his face. His features were sharp and angular, which she'd been expecting. There were a few loose strands of dark hair hanging in front of his eyes – his eyes.

They were unlike anything she'd ever seen. They were amber and glowed with an intensity that Quinn had never encountered. It caused something to stir inside her gut and for a moment she became afraid. This man continued to confuse her no matter what he did and it felt as though she was never going to figure him out.

"Besides," he continued as he got to his feet, "If anyone is going to kill you, it's going to be me."

Something that felt like electricity shot down Quinn's spine and she trembled slightly, earning a laugh from Talon as he turned away.

"Get out of here, birdie. Next time I see you I better not have to save your ass again."

He waved a hand lazily back at her and sauntered out of the alley, leaving a Demacian questioning everything.


	3. Chapter 3

Quinn had been on her way back to Demacia when they met again. It was late at night and she'd decided to stop and rest for a few hours. The outskirts of both Noxus and Demacia were full of seemingly endless forests and Quinn had decided to perch herself high up in one of the trees. She knew better than to try and actually sleep out here, still in Noxian territory – that was just asking to get killed. But she was able to close her eyes and be at peace for at least a little while, as Valor kept patrol of the area.

It felt like she'd only been at rest for a few minutes before Valor flew over to her and landed on her shoulder, nudging the side of her face with his beak. He made a quiet cooing noise in an attempt to wake her, much to the scout's displeasure.

"What is it, Val?" she asked sleepily.

He clicked his tongue at her and gestured towards the ground. Whatever was happening, Valor didn't want to make a scene about it, which was unusual for him. Usually if there were attackers he'd dive right in screeching, which would alert Quinn and get her to join in immediately.

Quinn shifted her weight and looked down beneath her. Not too far away she could make out several dark figures amongst a clearing in the trees. They appeared to be in a circle, surrounding something.

Despite her exhaustion, Quinn managed to hop from branch to branch of several trees until she was as close to the men as she could get without being spotted. Carefully, she climbed down a few branches at a time, trying to listen in on what the men were saying.

"This is where you'll meet our contact," one of them said, "He'll have all the information you've been looking for."

"Hand over the money," another demanded.

She heard someone sigh and then the jingling of coins, and saw a blurry object thrown from the middle of the circle to one of the men. Her fingers wandered to the crossbow at her hips when someone else spoke.

"I don't appreciate people wasting my time."

Quinn's eyes widened. She knew that voice. It was dark and sinister, laced with impatience and frustration. She peered closer at the group of men and spotted him – a blue cloak directly in the middle of the darkly clad figures.

What was he doing here?

"And we don't appreciate punk ass street urchins trying to get in the way of Noxian progress," one sneered back.

Immediately, they had all drawn weapons, causing Quinn to instinctively grip at her crossbow.

"You're wasting your time," Talon growled, "Are you going to tell me what I need to know, or are you going to try and kill me?"

"You think we actually had your information?" one of them laughed, "You stupid son of a –"

The man didn't get to finish his sentence, as Talon had thrown a blade directly into his throat, causing him to sputter and cough up blood before collapsing to the ground.

Quinn watched as he backflipped and landed on one of the men's shoulders, shoving his arm blade into the side of his head before gracefully dismounting with ease. She'd never actually watched him work, only glimpses of the aftermath he left behind.

The attackers didn't seem to know what to do. It had taken only seconds for Talon to take out two of them and he was on his way to another. One of them shot an arrow at him, only for Talon to deflect it with that oversized blade on his arm.

Talon ran forward and slid down on his knee, swiping one of the thugs off his feet with his free leg. The man landed with a thud and let out a scream of agony as Talon violently shoved a blade through his thigh, pinning him to the ground.

"You little –"

Another one charged at Talon, knocking him over so hard that his hood flew off. Talon grunted as he struggled with his attacker, trying to push him off. In one swift movement, he threw his knee into the assailant's groin and, once the man released him to clutch at his injured crotch, he rolled out from underneath him, grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed his face into the ground. Blood spurted from the man's mouth as he tried to catch his breath, but Talon simply grabbed the man's head with both hands and snapped his neck like a twig, breathing heavily as the man fell lifelessly to the ground.

Quinn was in awe. She'd never seen someone move as quickly as her, or kill so efficiently. It was strangely beautiful.

As Talon began to stand, he suddenly cried out in agony. One man had been left, and he'd plunged his dagger right into Talon's back. He attempted to reach behind himself to rip it out, but the attacker had kicked him in the side, knocking him to the ground.

"You little shit," he spat, "You wanted to see Marcus? Go and see him in Hell!"

There was the sound of something flying through the air quickly, and then the man fell on his side, a crossbow belt going in one ear and out the other.

Confused, Talon looked to see where the bolt had come from. He certainly hadn't expected to see the Demacian scout standing there, crossbow up, still aiming as if the man might get up again.

"The hell are you doing here?" Talon hissed.

That stupid dagger was still in his back and it burned like fire.

Quinn snapped out of her daze, looking over at Talon.

"You know," she said with a smirk, "This is where most people would say thank you."

Talon started to laugh, but was silenced as the sharp pain grew with his movements. Quinn cautiously walked over to him, kneeling down to get a closer look.

This was the first time she'd seen his face now that his hood had been knocked back. His face was sharp and angular, with a strong chin and brows. His hair was longer than she expected, half pulled back out of his face, though a few strands had gotten lose and fell in front of his eyes. Those eyes again.

Quinn cleared her throat and reached into the pack she kept at her side, rummaging around to find something that might help.

"What were you doing out here?" she asked, finding a roll of bandages that she'd thrown in there after having to deal with those thugs from her last time in Noxus.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he muttered.

"Going back to Demacia. Your turn."

She looked at his back, noticing that the dagger had gone into his shoulder. At least she wouldn't have to deal with being careful around any organs.

Talon sighed at her blunt answer.

"Trying to get intel," he replied, "In case you couldn't tell, I was set up."

"I had no idea."

She smiled at him thoughtfully, humming in thought as she looked back at the dagger.

"This is gonna hurt," she said, "Try not to move or you'll make it worse."

Talon grunted in agreement and Quinn swiftly removed her cloak, holding it tightly in one hand as she reached for the hilt of the dagger with the other. She gripped it firmly, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Do I have a choice?" he grumbled.

Quinn took a deep breath and ripped the dagger out as quickly as she could. Talon bit back a scream as Quinn threw the dagger to the ground and pressed her cloak against his wound forcefully. He groaned and sunk forward, biting his lip to keep himself from crying out. The Demacian kept applying pressure to the wound, watching as her cloak became stained red.

"Why are you doing this?" he choked out, "Helping me?"

"Life for a life," Quinn mumbled back, glancing down at the dagger.

Luckily it hadn't been very large, so hopefully the wound wouldn't be too severe. It was soaked in Talon's blood, and she noticed a familiar Noxian symbol engraved on the blade.

"What kind of intel were you looking for?" she asked, "These guys were Noxian like you…"

"You're an idiot if you think all Noxians are the same," he spat.

Quinn furrowed her brows in annoyance and pushed harder on his back, causing him to hiss in pain.

"You should be nicer to the person saving your life."

Talon muttered something under his breath.

"If you must know," he sighed, "Noxus isn't exactly a peaceful place. Lots of fighting within… trying to take control of the kingdom. It was mainly a fight between Swain and Du Couteau…"

Quinn nodded in understanding.

"I've heard," she said softly, "But Du Couteau went missing…"

Talon was quiet for a while, just breathing heavily as the fire in his back slowly died down.

"I know that you trained under him," Quinn continued, "He took you in when you were younger."

"Yeah," Talon breathed.

The silence grew between them and Quinn moved the cloak slightly to absorb more blood that didn't seem like it was going to stop flowing anytime soon.

"I never had a family," he said after a while, "He was the closest thing I had… So, I've been trying to find information about his disappearance. See if anyone knows anything."

Quinn was surprised by his honesty, but remained silent. It seemed like he had a lot he wanted to get off his chest and she was apparently the one he'd chosen to vent to.

"I know it had something to do with that bastard, Swain," Talon grunted, "But I have no proof… I'm sure these guys were some of Swain's lackeys trying to shut me up. He knew I would follow any lead about Marcus…"

"Why are you telling me this?" Quinn interrupted.

Talon chuckled.

"No one else has ever stayed long enough to listen," he answered, "Or lived long enough."

Quinn rolled her eyes and inspected his wound again.

"Alright, I think most of the bleeding has stopped, I need to wrap it though. Can you help me get your cloak off?"

"Probably…"

Talon reached with his good arm to unfasten the clasp at his neck, letting the cape fall to the ground.

"You know," Quinn said, "A cape of blades seems kind of pointless if you're not going to use them."

Talon huffed in response.

"Just because I didn't use it in that fight, doesn't mean I don't use it at all."

The scout laughed and reapplied pressure to his wound once again. There was a gaping hole in the back of his shirt from where he'd been stabbed and blood had run down the entirety of his back.

"I hope you're not too attached to this shirt," Quinn teased as she ripped at the fabric to get better access to his back.

"Do what you have to," he muttered.

She nodded and tore the shirt apart so his whole side was exposed. There were scars everywhere. His back, his arm, his chest. Some uglier than others, but there didn't seem to be much of him that wasn't scarred.

Quinn reached for the bandages and carefully covered his wound, beginning to wrap them under his armpit and then back over his shoulder, repeating it several times until the roll ran out.

Once finished, Quinn leaned back to inspect her work.

"Well, I'm no medic," she admitted, "But I think you'll survive."

Talon sat up a little straighter, rubbing his injured shoulder gently, carefully moving it to see how much mobility he still had. He winced a bit, but it didn't seem like he was in as much pain as he was before.

"Thanks, birdie," he murmured, "Guess we're even now."

Quinn smiled at the nickname.

"Speaking of which, where is that bird of yours?"

As if on cue Valor let out a screech, swooping down from a tree to land on Quinn's shoulder. He looked at Talon inquisitively, tilting his head back and forth while he inspected him.

"You've got that thing trained pretty well," Talon remarked.

Valor squawked indignantly, causing Quinn to reach up and stroke the top of his head.

"His name is Valor," she replied, "And he's not a thing. We've been partners for years now and wherever I go, he goes."

Valor lifted his head and clicked his tongue in approval, enjoying the affection he was receiving.

Talon seemed a bit off put by the bird, but he didn't want to say anything to anger it, less he get his eyes gouged out.

"Well now that we're even," he sighed, "Does that mean no more stalking me?"

Quinn snorted in amusement.

"You're still under suspicion for several crimes against Demacia. I don't think I can let you go that easily."

"Damn. What if I buy you a drink?"

She was surprised at the offer. At first, she couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but there didn't seem to be any malice in those bright eyes of his.

"Sure. Why not?"

* * *

 _Author's Note: Wow, I wasn't expecting to really get any kind of feedback on this, so thank you guys for that. I haven't published a fic in years so I'm hoping this one helps showcase my improvement (let's face it, we were all pretty cringe worthy when we were younger). This pairing is my hardcore OTP and means a lot, so I'm going to try and put only the best I can out. I've already finished six chapters of this, so once I upload the sixth, updates will take a bit longer. I really appreciate any and all feedback so if you could leave a review that'll help me crank stuff out faster! Thanks again guys 3_


	4. Chapter 4

The Demacian entered the tavern first, Talon lingering behind her, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was nearby. It was nearly two in the morning but one could never be too sure.

It was dimly lit and dirty inside the bar, with only two people there, one of which was passed out at the bar and the other the barkeep who seemed to be debating on whether or not he should kick the bastard out. He looked up at the sound of the door creaking open and narrowed his eyes when he saw Quinn.

"Hey, we don't serve your kind here," he said upon noticing the distinctly Demacian armor she wore, attempting to wave her out from behind the bar.

"She's with me."

Talon's voice was curt as he stepped in behind her, pushing the scout towards the bar to take a seat. The barkeep's eyes widened in shock, but he didn't make any further comment about the kind of company Talon appeared to keep.

"Well," he sighed, "What happened? You look like shit, Talon."

He scoffed as he pulled out a stool, gesturing to one of the bottles of alcohol on the shelf. His shirt was still mangled and half missing, his cape drenched in red while Quinn's bloodstained cloak rested over his shoulder.

"Had to take care of some things," Talon muttered, "Hurry with the booze, would ya?"

The bartender rolled his eyes and reached back to grab the bottle Talon had motioned to earlier. Quinn looked between the two of them puzzled.

"Come here often?" she asked.

Talon snorted.

"Is that your way of asking if I'm an alcoholic?"

"No!" Quinn stammered, "Just… He recognized you. I thought your identity was a secret."

The bartender let out a boisterous laugh and pointed at Talon.

"You think that I don't know who he is? Who else would wear a cape made out of knives!"

Quinn couldn't help but chuckle at that, despite the annoyed look that flickered in Talon's eyes. He reached over the counter and grabbed the bottle out of the man's hand, placing it to his lips and taking several loud gulps.

"Ah, come on," the barkeep groaned, "That's some of my best shit."

Talon brought the bottle away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You're right," he agreed, "You can put it on the Du Couteau family tab. Sure Kat won't mind."

The bartender started to protest when Talon offered the bottle to Quinn. When she didn't take it immediately, he practically shoved it into her hand.

"Drink," he ordered, "Good for you. Takes the edge off."

Quinn wanted to reply that she hadn't been injured like him, so she didn't necessarily need to take the edge off of anything, but she was slightly afraid of what would happen if she refused. Reluctantly, she took a swig and almost choked on the bitterness. The alcohol burned her throat, a vaguely familiar feeling she hadn't dealt with in quite some time.

A smirk crawled on Talon's face when he noticed the way her nose wrinkled in disgust. A lightweight, how adorable.

"You know I'm paying for that with my own sister's money," Talon said coyly, "You should enjoy it."

"I'm not much of a drinker," Quinn admitted, coughing at the taste of alcohol on her tongue.

"Couldn't tell," he lied.

He reached over and placed his hand over the one she held the bottle with, tilting it back to make her drink more. She nearly gagged and had to spit some of the drink out in order to avoid choking.

Talon laughed and released her, grinning as she pounded at her chest in an attempt to clear her throat.

"Hey, I don't need any more dead bodies at this bar," the bartender warned.

Horrified, Quinn looked over at the man who was slung over the bar, and began to stand from her seat.

"He's joking," Talon assured as he placed his hand on her shoulder to ease her back on to the stool, "Speaking of which, what are you gonna do with him?"

"I'll throw him out on the street if he doesn't get up soon," the bartender replied, "Will you be joining him? Or should I put a room on your tab as well?"

Talon simply nodded and took the bottle back from Quin, taking another swig.

"Your usual room then?"

Quinn raised a brow.

"He gets into lots of trouble," the bartender explained, "Can't always make it back to his comfy mansion so he'll hole up here for a night or two while he recovers."

"Don't act like you know me, Sid," Talon spat as he finished off the rest of the bottle.

"Getting drunk already?"

Talon scowled and pushed the now empty bottle to the side, pointing at a different one.

"I shouldn't let you," Sid said slowly, "But if I refuse, you'll probably kill me."

Talon gave him a sly grin and nodded in response, stretching his arm out and waiting. Sid reluctantly offered him the new bottle, which Talon quickly opened and offered to Quinn. Startled, Quinn looked at the bottle and then back to Talon. His eyes had gotten a little cloudy, but he didn't seem too far gone.

"Drink," he demanded, more forcefully than last time, "… you'll like it."

Quinn obeyed and took a small sip from the bottle. To her surprise, Talon was right. It wasn't nearly as bitter as the first time, and there was almost a fruity aftertaste that danced on her tongue.

"It's good," she admitted.

"Figured you'd like it," he replied, motioning for her to take another drink.

She obeyed, taking a larger gulp this time and could feel a pleasant warmness in her stomach that made her smile. She had been honest when saying that she wasn't a drinker; she'd only really had some wine at some Demacian galas and a few beers when the soldiers wanted to reward themselves after a particularly difficult mission. There had been a few other occasions, but she didn't like to think back on them as they brought up painful memories.

Before she knew it, she'd finished off the bottle almost entirely by herself, Talon occasionally stealing it for a few sips but allowing her to have as much as she wanted. Her head felt fuzzy and she realized that she was buzzed if not drunk already. Talon had acquired another bottle and Sid had moved to throw out the drunk that had begun to snore rather loudly.

"You alright?"

Talon's voice startled her and she jumped slightly, blaming the alcohol for her dulled senses.

"You look…"

He trailed off, leaning in closer to her. Quinn couldn't help but hold her breath as his face hovered dangerously close to hers. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and noticed his lip twitch. She licked hers absentmindedly.

"Scared?" he finally said, more of a question than a statement.

Quinn laughed nervously, having no idea how to respond. Truth be told, she was kind of scared. She was alone in a bar with a man she considered her rival, a man she was supposed to be investigating and possibly killing. And she knew that he could kill her easily, especially while she was inebriated. Her hand wandered toward her hip where she kept her hunting knife, finger brushing the hilt.

"So you are scared," he murmured, "Don't worry, birdie. I promise I won't kill you. Not yet."

Quinn opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by his lips crashing into hers. She made a very undignified squeaking noise in surprise, raising her arms as if in surrender. What was she supposed to do? If she was scared before then she was terrified now.

His lips were rough and chapped and he tasted like that awful alcohol from before but something stopped her from pulling away. She knew that she should, that she should shove him off her and run out the door. But how could she when those stupid lips of his fit so well against her own?

She found herself leaning back into the kiss, her hands shaky as they came down to rest on his shoulders. As suddenly as he had kissed her, he pulled away and the expression he gave her sent chills down her spine.

The cloudiness that had been in his eyes not too long ago was replaced with a blazing desire that she'd never seen someone look at her with.

"Bed," he practically growled, _"Now."_

No. No she knew this was where she should draw the line. The kiss itself had been too much, something she should've put a stop to immediately. There was absolutely no way she could prolong this any further. This was ending now.

"Yes."

Wait what? Why was she saying yes? She had to say no, she couldn't go any further. Jarvan would kill her. He'd tell her what an idiot she was for even letting Talon live and then he'd kill her.

She was in his arms now, legs wrapped around his waist as he stumbled towards the stairs, whispering something as he nipped at her neck. She could hear herself moaning and begged herself to stop. God, she sounded like a prostitute. Why wasn't her body listening to anything her brain told her?

It was a struggle to get up the stairs, but they managed somehow. Talon carried her to the end of the hall and pressed her back against the last door with more force than expected, making Quinn grunt. She started to complain, when he pulled her away from the door.

Confused, Quinn tried to speak again only for Talon to violently kick in the wooden door, nearly knocking it off its hinges. He quickly carried her in, slamming the door closed behind them with his foot.

It was so dark that Quinn couldn't see a thing aside from Talon's face, his eyes still bright and full of a primal lust that made her shiver again.

He threw her onto the bed, none too gently, and tore off what remained of his shirt, the cape quickly following. His breathing was ragged as he climbed on top of her, hovering above her on all fours, faces so close that their noses were touching.

"Tell me to stop," he breathed.

Quinn stared into his eyes, mesmerized at how they glowed, as if there was a raging fire behind them. She reached up to touch the side of his face, finding some loose hair and twirling her fingers through it. Those eyes were so intense. She couldn't look away.

"If you want me to stop," he whispered, "I will. Just tell me."

Now! Now was the time for her to put an end to this madness. Her brain was screaming at her, begging her to just stick her knife in this man's neck and run. She couldn't do this. But every inch of her skin pleaded to stay, to ignore her brain and give in to her senses. She'd never done something like this, never done anything so stupid.

"I should absolutely tell you to stop," she admitted.

Talon bit his lip and sighed, beginning to push himself off. Quinn tugged at his hair she still held, pulling him back down.

"But I don't want to."

He looked confused for a moment, but once he saw her lips curve upwards he understood. A wicked grin formed on his face that almost scared her, but then everything went black when her eyes fluttered shut as Talon began to ravish her.

* * *

 _Author's Note: I wasn't planning on putting these first few chapters out so quickly, but I'm kind of on a roll with writing and the response to the fic has been so I wanted to see what you all think of the direction it's heading. I've never written smut before so bear with me on that front. Reviews are deeply appreciated so if you could leave a quick one that'd be awesome! I just wanna know what you guys think and if you have any suggestions, something you'd like to see or critiques. That's all for now, see you next time!_


	5. Chapter 5

The pain that racked her head was unlike anything Quinn had ever felt. It was like Garen had hit her over the head hundreds of times with his sword while giving her one of his usual lectures on how she should obey the rules more and stop running off on her own. She reached up to touch her head and could practically feel the violent thumping against her palm.

Everything was foggy, she couldn't remember anything. A weak groan escaped her lips as she tried to recall what had happened.

Alcohol. There was definitely alcohol involved. So, she was hungover. That was a first for her. But why had she been drinking? She never drank. It took a surprising amount of effort for her to force her eyes open and she had to blink a few times to figure out where she was.

There was immediately something off. She rarely slept in a bed, except when she returned to Demacia after her missions. But she couldn't remember making the journey home and a hangover wouldn't wipe her memory of a several days long excursion.

The room was dark, only lit by the limited sunlight that managed to peek through the slats of a window. It was small and mostly empty. There was a small table in the corner that had somehow been knocked over, but that was all she could see. A sudden bolt of pain shot through her temple, causing her to groan once more. She swore to never touch alcohol again.

Suddenly there was a noise. A noise that definitely should not have occurred. It was another groan, one that echoed hers, but it was definitely not her own. This one was deeper, and didn't seem to be out of pain.

As slowly as humanly possible, Quinn craned her neck around to look behind her. Mortified at what she saw, Quinn yelped in shock and jumped, falling out of the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud. Glancing down at herself, she realized that she was, to her horror, completely naked.

She'd not only gotten drunk but had sex with some strange man? How embarrassing. This was so unlike her. But there had to be a good reason. She knew that she'd never do something so stupid without a reason. He probably had intel. Yes, of course that's why she had to sleep with him, she needed to get access to information. It was a first for her, but she did what had to be done for the sake of Demacia. That had to be what happened.

There was that groan again, and the sound of the bed creaking as her lover from the previous night shifted, moving over to prop himself up on his elbow and look down at her.

"Keep it down would ya? You were loud enough last night."

No. Oh no, this wasn't happening. This _couldn't_ be happening. Everything hit her at once, the memories of the night before like an enormous wave crashing into her skull. It was mostly a blur but one thing was very, _very_ clear: she had fucked Talon.

"What…?"

She didn't know what else to say. Every word that tried to break free died in her throat as she stared at him, eyes half-lidded, his mop of hair messily covering half of his face. And he was just as naked as she was, the blanket that was over him just barely covering what laid beneath his waist. He yawned, blinking slowly as he tried to adjust his eyes.

"I said, could you keep it down? Some of us are trying to sleep."

Quinn's mouth just hung open in shock. How could he be so… so unconcerned about this? They were enemies, they were supposed to kill each other!

"Although," he yawned, "When you were loud last night I didn't mind. It was pretty hot, actually."

Blood rushed to her cheeks as she burned with a mix of fury and embarrassment.

"How dare you!" she snapped.

Confused, Talon pushed his hair out of his face, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. Enraged, Quinn began to stand up, only to collapse immediately. Her thighs were like jelly and gave out on her before she could make much progress. Talon snorted and had to restrain himself from laughing.

"Careful," he warned, "It might take a little while for you to walk again. You were very… enthusiastic."

"How are you so calm about this?" she blurted, reaching for the bed in an attempt to pull herself up.

"About what?" he asked.

"This!"

She gestured to her naked body dramatically, amazed that he was apparently stupid enough to not realize what she was talking about.

"Is there something I should be concerned about? You're not sick, are you?"

Quinn scoffed in disgust, finally managing to pull her upper half back onto the bed. With as much force as her weak body allowed, she threw her fist into Talon's chest. He recoiled, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect aside from his face twisting into deeper confusion.

"You ass!" she screamed, throwing another punch into his chest, pulling her body onto the bed with her free arm.

He stopped her this time, grabbing her firmly by the wrist despite her struggles. But she was furious, refusing to back down after what he'd done.

"You used me!" she cried, "You sick bastard! You… you took advantage of me!"

Before she could say another word, he'd pushed her back against the bed, pinning both of her wrists above her head and straddling her. God, was he going to do it again?

"Listen, birdie," he hissed, his face hovering just above hers, "I said I would stop. You had that choice. Don't try and make me look like the villain here."

Quinn squirmed, trying to break free of his grasp, but his knees were squeezing her legs together and his grip on her wrists was unwavering. Unfortunately, Quinn did vaguely remember what he was referring to. She remembered him offering to stop and how she told him no. But she'd meant it: she didn't want him to stop. Beneath the alcohol, something deep inside her had wanted him, something she didn't understand. And she hated herself for it.

When she didn't argue the matter further, he relaxed his grip slightly, bending over more to place his lips at her ear.

"You know you wanted it just as much as I did," he breathed.

And that was the worst part: he was right.

She bit her lip, not wanting to acknowledge that he was right and give him that satisfaction. The silence seemed to be enough for him though, and he released her to roll off of her, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and resting his head in his hands. Quinn pushed herself onto her elbows and choked back a gasp as she saw Talon's back covered with scratch marks that she could only assume she had left. The bandage was still wrapped around his wound and she briefly wondered if it had caused him pain the night before.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked cautiously.

Talon snorted and turned his head to look at her.

"After all that shit, _that's_ what you're concerned about?"

When she nodded, he simply turned his head back and sighed, rubbing one of his hands over his face lazily and muttering something about how ridiculous Demacians were.

"It's fine," he said after a while, "…thanks for asking."

Quinn didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded to herself and looked around the room. It really was empty aside from the bed and table, only a tiny dresser shoved in the corner that looked like it hadn't been touched in several years. She noticed that the door didn't seem to close properly, and was slightly off balance.

Right, she thought to herself. He'd kicked it down in order to get in.

"So…" she spoke softly, "What now?"

Talon didn't respond, and instead chose to just stare out the window, noticing that it wasn't raining for once in this godawful place.

"Do we just go back to trying to kill each other?" she asked.

He stood up and turned to face her, arms folded across his chest. Quinn blushed furiously as she looked away from him because dammit that idiot was still completely naked and didn't seem to care.

"I suppose," he said simply, "What's a quick fuck between enemies, huh?"

When she didn't answer he sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides.

"Don't try and act all modest now," he teased, "You saw all of this last night."

That reminded Quinn that she too was naked and he had seen all of her and was indeed still looking at all of her. She grabbed the blanket and hastily covered herself, cheeks flushing red in shame.

"I don't remember much," she admitted, still looking at anything other than him, "I've never been that drunk before."

"You did down that whole bottle," he pointed out, "It's been a while since I've been that far gone myself… You gonna keep acting like I don't exist?"

"Until you put some clothes on, yes."

He laughed at that, truly laughed, and it was surprisingly light compared to his usual gruff voice. She could hear him move for a moment and then the sound of a zipper.

"Is this good enough?"

Wearily, she turned her head and was relieved to see that he had at least put his pants back on. His torso remained bare and she could see the deep v that cut down his abs, but it ended abruptly where his pants began and for that she was grateful.

"Better," she mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around her chest.

Talon gave her a wry grin, amused at her sudden modesty. It was somehow endearing.

"You should get out of here," he said, "People are gonna be looking for me now that some of their friends are dead. Get back to Demacia before anyone starts getting suspicious of you."

"Why would they be suspicious of me?" she asked.

"Sid knew you were a Demacian by taking one look at you… just wearing a cloak isn't the best disguise."

Quinn frowned as she looked over at the clothes strewn across the floor. She could see her cloak, covered in blood and realized that would certainly draw plenty of unwanted attention.

"I'd take you to the border, but that's the first place they're going to look for me," Talon explained.

"What makes you think I need your help?" she questioned, "I've gone across the border several times. Or did you forget that it's my job to infiltrate Noxus?"

He was surprised by the boldness of her answer, but did not reply, instead bending down to pick up his cape from the floor. His shirt was in pieces so he didn't bother trying to put it on. He walked back towards the bed, looming over Quinn. She looked up at him wide-eyed, keenly aware of how close he was and the fact that she could still smell the sweat on him.

"Fly while you can, birdie," he murmured, "It'd be a shame to see you get eaten up by this damn place."

With that, he turned and headed for the door, reaching up to rub his injured shoulder when he felt the familiar pain shoot through his muscles.

"Wait!"

Talon had grabbed the doorknob, despite the door basically being off its hinges, and came to a stop at the sound of here voice.

"Are we…?" her voice trailed off.

"Lovers?"

Her next words caught in her throat. She hadn't expected him to say it so simply. There was a moment of silence before Talon finally answered.

"I don't do feelings," he said curtly, "Never have. This was… purely physical."

Something sank in Quinn, but she wasn't sure if it was her heart or her stomach. On one hand she was grateful, she didn't want to remember this night at all, it was a mistake and she wanted to forget everything. But on the other hand, there was a longing for him. She'd been so lonely for so long, only having Valor to understand her. To possibly have someone, another person, feel something for her, even care about her… the idea was too good to be true.

More silence passed between them, Quinn still unsure of how she felt about his response. Talon bit his lip, contemplating his next words carefully.

"If… If you would like to do this again… Without alcohol…"

Quinn tilted her head in confusion.

"I don't normally do this kind of stuff," he sighed, "But… if you're interested…"

He turned to look at her again, smirking upon seeing that she had turned bright red again.

"I wouldn't mind being able to fuck you senseless again," he finished.

Quinn bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything or making more stupid noises. Talon chuckled at her embarrassment and opened the door.

"You know how to find me, birdie."

* * *

 _Author's Note: Sorry if you were expecting smut, but I kinda wanted to keep their first night together mysterious since neither of them really remember it. There might be some actual smut later, still not sure yet, but we will see. Thanks for all the follows and favorites, I'm glad to see you guys like this so much! Don't forget to leave me a review to let me know exactly what you thought~_


	6. Chapter 6

Valor had been furious with her. He'd already been unhappy with her decision to go drinking with the Noxian, but then she didn't come back when she'd said she would. Of course, she'd received a stern scolding from him, which involved severely loud squawking and a few irritated nips at her shoulders. Quinn apologized and explained that some _things_ had come up, to which Valor angrily pulled at her hair with his beak. She assured him it wouldn't happen again and the two hastily returned to Demacia.

It'd been a couple of weeks since her encounter with Talon and she was unable to think of anything else. Jarvan had insisted she take some time off, saying that she seemed to be acting strangely and the rest would do her good. Quinn preferred being out of the kingdom's walls, away from all the people who judged and questioned her, but she couldn't disobey the prince's orders. She decided to take a walk near the training grounds in order to inspect the new recruits they'd recently received and hopefully distract herself from thoughts of a certain Noxian. Valor tagged along, perching himself comfortably on her shoulder.

There were a few dozen new recruits, all young and bright-eyed, determined to bring justice to Demacia. They reminded Quinn of herself, full of hope and excitement. But they were being trained by Garen, so she knew that fire in their hearts would soon be extinguished.

She had nothing against Garen – he was an accomplished fighter and Jarvan trusted him with his life. But he'd always been a stickler for rules and disapproved of Quinn's unorthodox methods. In turn, Quinn wasn't his biggest fan and Valor had no respect for him, constantly telling jokes about him to Quinn, which she enjoyed with only the smallest pang of guilt.

"Quinn!"

She turned her head surprised, as most people tended to avoid her and would avoid starting a conversation with her if possible. She had a feeling it was because she spoke to Valor, but they were probably just jealous.

A familiar young woman waved at her as she ran closer, a smile on her face. Quinn couldn't help but smile back. Lux was probably the closest thing she had to a friend aside from Jarvan, so her company was often appreciated, though sometimes her blind optimism could become annoying.

"Lux," Quinn replied, "Nice to see you."

Valor squawked a greeting as well. He too enjoyed Lux's company, mainly because she always showered him with affection.

Lux trotted up to them, immediately reaching up to scratch Valor under his chin and earning a coo of happiness from the eagle as he stretched his neck out to allow for more affection.

"Valor's happy to see you," Quinn remarked.

"And I'm happy to see him!" Lux replied with a giggle, "Though I thought you two would've left for another mission by now."

"Jarvan's having us stay in Demacia a little longer. Says we need to rest."

Lux's brows furrowed in concern.

"Did something happen on your last trip?" she asked.

"No!" Quinn said a little too quickly.

Of course, she couldn't tell Lux what had happened with Talon; sure, they were sort of friends, but if she told anyone that she had slept with a Noxian she was sure it would find its way back to Jarvan and she'd be executed immediately.

Lux noticed Quinn's rushed response, but decided not to press the matter further.

"So, what are you doing over here?" Lux asked, "I thought you tried to avoid my brother as much as possible."

Quinn looked away in embarrassment.

"It's ok, you're not the only one," Lux assured with a laugh.

"Just came by to see how the new recruits are doing," Quinn answered as she turned to look back at Lux.

The blonde nodded and looked over at the men her brother was instructing, disappointed to see that they were merely going over strategies and nothing of interest.

"You seem distracted," Lux commented, "Something on your mind?"

"No, I…" Quinn started.

"Is it a guy?" Lux asked.

The scout was immediately caught off guard, and bit her lip nervously, looking away and trying to make up some kind of excuse.

"I knew it!" Lux practically squealed, "Who is he? Is he one of the new recruits? Is _that_ why you're here?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Quinn spat out.

She'd been trying to avoid thinking about Talon and now all she could see was his face, his bright eyes staring at her with a darkness that both thrilled and terrified her.

Dammit Lux.

"I met him on a mission," Quinn muttered, "Please don't say anything to His Majesty…"

"On a mission! How romantic! Where?"

Lux's eyes sparkled with curiosity and wonder. As far as Quinn knew, Lux had never left Demacia, her brother refusing to let her leave. It was kind of sad, Quinn thought, to have never been out of these walls, to have never seen what the rest of Runeterra had to offer. Maybe one day, Garen would grow a heart and let her go, but Quinn didn't see that happening anytime soon.

"It's nothing, please don't make this a big deal…" Quinn begged.

"I'm sorry, it's just… you're the last person I would expect to be distracted by a crush."

Quinn wasn't sure if that was an insult or not, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get as far away from Lux as quickly as possible.

"Yes, that's all it is," Quinn replied, "Just a silly crush. I'll get over it in no time."

Lux wasn't stupid; she could tell that Quinn was hiding something. But they weren't super close and she didn't want to pry into the older girl's love life when she was trying so desperately to avoid it. She'd hoped that maybe they could talk about their crushes together (that was something girls did with their friends, right? Lux didn't have many friends so she wasn't sure) but maybe they could another time, when Quinn was more accepting of her feelings.

"I have to go," Quinn said quickly, already walking away as fast as she could without looking suspicious.

"Oh, okay! I'll see you later, Quinn! Valor!" Lux called out.

Valor squawked back happily, but Quinn merely raised a hand in acknowledgment, painfully aware of the heat that was crawling up her face.

Dammit, why did Lux have to bring that up? Was she that perceptive or was she just being curious? Regardless, it had stirred up memories of Talon that Quinn had been trying to repress. That stupid smirk of his and the way it made her melt. Damn him!

Quinn had run off towards the forest that surrounded a large portion of the royal grounds, a place that she went to often. It reminded her of home, in Uwendale, where everything was so much simpler and she and Caleb would play amongst the trees and use branches as their swords when they fought. She made it to a tree much larger than the rest and leaned against its trunk, sighing deeply.

A concerned Valor called out to her, nuzzling the side of her face gently. The scout smiled and reached up to pet him reassuringly.

"Sorry, Val," she sighed, "I just got… overwhelmed. Thinking about him…"

The eagle made a small noise of disapproval, but continued to nuzzle her. Despite his distaste for the Noxian, he was truly worried about his partner.

"I'll be alright," she assured, "I just… do you think he meant what he said? About… continuing what happened that night?"

Valor was quick to disagree since no Noxian ever kept their word.

"You're right," she admitted, "I don't know what I –"

She reached for her crossbow, grateful that she'd brought it with her. There had definitely been a sound, one that wasn't from her or Valor. It was faint, but she was certain she'd heard a twig snap. Valor quickly stood alert, listening carefully as his eyes scanned the branches above.

They were both silent, steadying their hearts and waiting for any other sort of sign. Moments passed without any activity and Quinn slowly began to put her crossbow down. She was clearly paranoid, hearing things and thinking that there was someone else here with her. Her eyes fell to her feet, looking to see if perhaps she had been the one to step on a twig and scare herself. How embarrassing that would be. But there was nothing.

"I'm losing it," she muttered.

She looked back up, only to find a woman standing directly in front of her, almost as if she had teleported to the spot.

"Boo," she said in a rather monotone voice.

Quinn gasped and Valor, who had flown up into the trees to investigate, screeched angrily as he flew back down to Quinn as quickly as possible. But he was too late. The woman had already pushed Quinn into the tree and had a knife to her throat. Valor came to a halt at the nearest branch, screeching again, but not wanting to get closer and risk Quinn getting hurt.

The woman was striking, with fiery red hair and a long scar that ran over her left eye. She was clad in tight black clothes, her midriff exposed to reveal a distinctly Noxian looking tattoo. Shit.

"You're not far from Demacian training grounds," Quinn said through gritted teeth, "All I have to do is scream and there will be dozens of soldiers on their way to kill you."

"Oh, target practice," the woman said coyly, "Sounds like fun."

Her cockiness was infuriating and Quinn was livid that she'd allowed herself to be so distracted to get caught off guard like this.

"What do you want?" Quinn spat.

Before the woman could respond, another voice called out from behind.

"That's enough, Kat. I'll deal with this one."

Quinn's heart jumped up into her throat. A familiar figure came up behind the redhead and brandished the oversized blade on his arm.

"Let me have my fun," the woman whined.

"I don't think he'd be happy to see you if you just killed one of his comrades," Talon answered.

The woman rolled her eyes in annoyance, removing the blade from Quinn's neck, only for Talon's to replace it. He placed his hand against the tree and leaned closer to her. That damn hood covered his eyes, but she could see the devilish grin on his lips and was at a loss for words.

"Finish her quickly," the woman said as she began to leave, "We don't have much time."

"Then you better get started," Talon replied, still looking at Quinn, "I'm sure he's waiting for you."

The woman scowled and ran off, leaving the two alone. A few moments passed before Talon sighed heavily, pulling the blade back ever so slightly. Valor noticed and prepared himself to attack if he let his guard down. That blade was gigantic and he didn't want it anywhere near Quinn, but he couldn't attack with it still so close to her neck.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked.

"I should ask you the same thing," she hissed, "If you're gonna kill me, do it already."

He was quiet for a moment before laughing, though Quinn wasn't sure what was so funny.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said through his laughter, "Why is that the first thing you assume?"

"The blade to my neck is a good starting point."

"Fair enough."

He turned to look at Valor, who was leaning closer and closer, wings open and ready to take off.

"I'm not gonna hurt her," he said, "So I need you to not attack me. Alright?"

The eagle made an angry hissing noise and ruffled his feathers, opening his wings wider. Talon sighed and looked back at Quinn.

"Can you stop him from gouging my eyes out?" Talon asked, "I have a feeling he's only gonna listen to you."

Quinn still couldn't see his eyes and wasn't sure if she could trust him. This was the man she'd slept with and had been thinking about nonstop as of late, but she knew better than to pretend he was innocent.

"Take off your hood," she instructed.

Talon snorted, not sure what good that would do, but obliged, reaching up with his blade free hand and pulling the hood back. He looked the same as she had remembered, amber eyes burning as he raised an eyebrow.

"Better?" he asked teasingly.

"Yes," Quinn choked out, "Now… now look me in the eyes and tell me you're being honest. Otherwise I'll have Val rip your throat out."

He smirked, admiring the bold threat. It was stupid of her to think that this would prove his honesty, he thought. But if that's what it took to avoid death by bird, then he didn't have any other option. His eyes locked onto hers and she trembled slightly, though not out of fear.

"Demacians are so obsessed with keeping their word. But fine, I'm not going to hurt you. Or kill you."

Dammit. She could tell he was telling the truth. She had half-wished that he'd been lying so she could just have Valor kill him and not have to deal with him ever again. But that'd be too easy.

"Stand down, Valor," she said softly.

The bird looked to his partner wearily, squawking at her to see if she was certain.

"Trust me, Val."

With a disgruntled squawk, the eagle sat down, bringing his wings in slowly as his eyes carefully watched Talon's blade.

Quinn and Talon stared at each other for a moment, and she suddenly wondered if she'd misjudged him. But the feel of cold steel against her neck disappeared, Talon bringing his arm down to his side. He looked to Valor and gestured to the blade, assuring him that he wasn't going to do anything. Valor just continued to stare at him, untrusting. Talon rolled his eyes and looked back at Quinn.

"Nice to see you again, birdie," he teased, "It's been a while."

"Who was that woman?" Quinn asked, turning to look in the direction the redhead from earlier had gone in.

"Hmm? Oh, Kat?" he replied, "She's with me."

"Kat? As in Katarina Du Couteau?"

"The one and only. I'll let her know that her reputation precedes her."

He stepped back, allowing Quinn to step away from the tree she had been so uncomfortably pushed against.

"What's she doing here? And with you?"

"Noxian stuff," he answered curtly, "Getting intel. She's currently providing a distraction. I always have to do the dirty work myself. So, I should get going –"

He started to follow the same path as Katarina, but came to a stop when a very angry Quinn jumped in front of him.

"You're sneaking into Demacia for intel?" she nearly screamed.

"Uh, yeah? It's kind of what I do. No need to be a hypocrite, birdie."

Quinn glared at him, her hands balling into fists. Of course, he was right. They were both spies and that's what spies did, but now that they'd slept together it was a bit more complicated.

"You said Katarina's causing a distraction," Quinn said, "What… what kind of distraction?"

"She's not murdering your men, if that's what you're asking," Talon replied, "She has a thing with one of your commanders. Big guy, kinda like a mountain? He's always with your prince, looks like he has a stick up his ass."

As amusing as his description of Garen was, Quinn couldn't wrap her head around what he was saying.

"Garen? A thing with…? What do you mean a thing?"

"They fuck. A lot."

She was caught off guard by the abrupt answer, had opened her mouth to speak, but it clamped shut quickly. Talon snorted in amusement.

"Doesn't seem like the dirty, Noxian-fucker kinda guy, does he?" he asked.

"Not really," Quinn admitted, "He and I don't get along very well…"

"Well now you two have something in common that you can bond over."

Quinn raised a brow confused and Talon sighed, gesturing to himself.

"You're both dirty Noxian-fuckers now."

Her face burned as she glared at him, feeling the heat rise to her ears as he laughed at her reaction.

"Shut up!" she snapped, "You're making all that up about Garen, for all I know."

"Tell yourself that. But, I have been wondering…"

He stepped closer and brought his face to her ear, which felt like it was on fire at this point.

"Have you considered my proposition from our last meeting?" he asked in a sultry whisper.

Quinn felt her knees buckle beneath her. Of course she had, that's all she'd been able to think about whenever she'd forget to act like that situation had never happened. She bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anything because she knew if she spoke she'd tell him the truth. And the truth was that she did want to take him up on his offer. She'd been alone for so long and she craved the intimate human interaction he provided her.

There was suddenly a nip at her ear and she couldn't help but let out something that sounded like a mix between a gasp and moan, much to Talon's pleasure. He'd grown impatient with her and decided that a bite would bring her back to reality. It certainly did, and judging by the sound she made, she enjoyed it.

"Fuck," Quinn hissed under her breath.

"Is that a yes?"

The Demacian fidgeted nervously, her breathing quickening as she realized that his mouth hadn't moved from her ear. Truthfully, she did want this. She wanted Talon to take her and give her the affection she so desperately desired, but she wouldn't let him break her so easily.

"Right here?" she asked, taking a deep breath, "Thought you had some intel to gather."

"Believe me, I'd much rather have sex than go looking for some stupid papers."

He could tell she was conflicted by her lack of a direct response, so he decided that perhaps she needed a little bit of convincing. He bit the lobe of her ear, harder this time, and she moaned helplessly, her knees shaking.

"I'll just tell Kat I couldn't find shit," he murmured, "Come on, I bet there's somewhere we could…"

Quinn had to do something. She was melting in the palm of his hands and had to act quickly if she wanted to keep some of her dignity. His teasing had proven effective, so she decided to use his own weapon against him.

"I don't know," she finally managed to say, "I'm not even sure if you're any good or not."

Talon pulled back abruptly, standing straight and stiff as he looked at her confused, quirking an eyebrow at her remark.

"Really?" he asked.

Quinn nodded, a smirk forming on her lips. It worked! She'd caught him in his own trap. Now she just needed to figure out how to get out of the same trap herself.

"I mean, I don't remember anything," she continued, "Sounds like it was a pretty forgettable experience."

Talon didn't seem to like that. His brows furrowed together and he pointed his finger in her face accusingly.

"Hey, it was _you_ who was screaming _my_ name the whole time!" he snarled.

"Huh, you'd think I'd remember something like that. Funny, isn't it?"

Quinn could practically see the smoke coming from his ears. Good. She knew how much men valued their ability to pleasure a woman and it was clear that Talon was no different. The jabs at his ego would not go unnoticed.

He reached out and grabbed her biceps, pulling her close with more force than Quinn thought necessary.

"Guess I'll just have to remind you," he growled.

Before Quinn could try to make another snide remark, Talon had crashed their lips together and squeezed her arms so tightly that she could feel his nails digging into her skin. And damn him for it, because it felt amazing and she couldn't stop herself from moaning into his kiss.

It was short lived, as a very angry and somewhat jealous Valor screeched and soared from the branch to put a stop to this. He reached for Talon's hair with his own talons and forcefully yanked back, causing the Noxian to cry out in shock.

"Son of a bitch!" he roared, reaching up to try and strangle the damn bird.

Quinn watched in surprise, never expecting Valor to be the jealous type. She couldn't help but giggle at Talon's desperate attempts to get the eagle off of him, but was quickly silenced when he shot her a particularly enraged death glare.

"A little help?" Talon snapped, "This damn thing is – ow!"

"Hmm, I didn't hear a please," Quinn taunted.

Valor squawked in amusement; he'd stopped pulling as violently, but he still had a firm grip on the assassin's hair. Talon's eyes burned with frustration and tried to smack the bird away again, only to receive a firm tug at his hair.

"I swear, if you don't get this thing off me –"

"Hmm, sorry what was that? I noticed a distinct lack of a certain word."

 _"Quinn!"_

A chill shot up the Demacian's spine. He'd never addressed her by her name before. And to hear it now, in that low growl with those burning eyes on her, she became unusually nervous.

"That's enough, Val," she said meekly, unsure of why she suddenly felt so exposed.

Valor made a low sound of displeasure, but ultimately listened to his partner and released his prisoner, flying back to the branch he'd previously been on to preen.

Talon reached up and rubbed at his scalp, muttering something under his breath that Quinn was pretty sure involved multiple curses, some of which she wasn't sure she'd ever heard.

"The hell was that for?" he hissed.

"I don't think he likes you," Quinn replied, "Don't take it personally though. He doesn't like any Noxians."

Valor squawked in agreement and nodded before returning back to pick at his feathers, worried that Talon might have messed them up somehow with his filthy Noxian hands.

"Little shit," Talon muttered.

Valor just continued to preen, only offering a noncommittal huff when Talon swore at him.

"I'd say that he's sorry, but I'd be lying," Quinn admitted.

To be honest, Quinn was pretty sure that Valor wanted to inflict even more pain on Talon, but he didn't need to know that.

"Well, perhaps we should meet without a certain animal in our way."

The eagle squawked indignantly and looked back at Talon, narrowing his eyes and preparing to make another assault on the assassin's hair.

"That sounds like an invitation for you to murder me," Quinn said flatly.

Talon rolled his eyes and stepped closer to Quinn again, careful not to actually touch her or else that damn bird would be on him again.

"Killing you would be a waste," he said under his breath, "I have… other plans."

Quinn bit down on her cheek and averted her gaze, pretending not to notice that Talon's face was inching closer to hers.

"You interested?" he asked, "It's kind of something that takes two people…"

This was a bad idea. A _really_ bad idea.

Talon's hand lingered towards her waist and she swore she could felt something like a spark of electricity between his fingertips and her waist.

She hated that she wanted this, _needed_ this. She'd been without intimacy for far too long and now there was someone willing to give it to her. But for it to be her enemy, the man she was supposed to kill… It only added to the thrill.

"What'd you have in mind?" she finally asked, turning her head back to meet his gaze.

A devilish grin crawled on his lips and the low chuckle that escaped them caused Quinn to shudder.

"Remember where we went last time?"

The Demacian could only nod, her throat suddenly dry. Of course she remembered, how could she forget? It wasn't exactly close though; it would take her a day or two to get there since it was on the outskirts of Noxus.

Talon leaned in closer, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke.

"Meet me there in three days… midnight. Same room. I'll be waiting."

Quinn's throat tightened as she felt his hand rest on her waist for just a moment, gone as suddenly as it had appeared.

It took a moment for her to find words, but by the time she could speak he was gone. Valor squawked and gestured towards the direction he'd gone – away from Demacia. Apparently, he still planned on lying to Katarina about finding intel. Quinn wasn't sure if it was out of thoughtfulness for her or if he simply wanted to get back to Noxus as quickly as possible. Perhaps he wanted to prepare for their meeting.

Valor flew from his branch to land on Quinn's shoulder, rubbing his face against her cheek and cooing lovingly. Her hand naturally went up to pet him reassuringly, giving him a few quick scratches on the top of his head.

"Well," she sighed as she looked to Valor, "What could go wrong?"

* * *

 _Author's Note: Long chapter is long. Well we've reached the point where I am now in the process of writing more and don't have a bunch of chapters backed up, meaning updates will take more than a day, hope you can forgive me. I love all the positive feedback and I'm glad you guys are enjoying the fic! Til next time._


	7. Chapter 7

The sky seemed blacker than normal, though Quinn blamed that on the fact she was in Noxus where everything seemed to be painted either black or red. It had just begun to rain, causing her to hurry closer to her destination. For some reason, she remembered exactly where the tavern was, despite only having been there once.

She hurried inside as the rain began to come down harder, slamming the door harder than she had meant to.

There were more patrons this time, all of whom turned to look at her loud entrance. They were certainly Noxian, dirty and almost feral in their appearance. Quinn tried to act normal, pulling the cloak tighter around her body. Her eyes scanned the bar to find Sid, who seemed to recognize her immediately. He jerked his head to the side, gesturing to the stairs as he went back to cleaning a glass. The other patrons slowly went back to their business.

Quinn swore she could feel their eyes in her back like daggers as she made her way to the stairs, but when she turned her head the men had all returned to their drinks and conversations.

"What the hell am I doing?" she muttered under her breath.

This was insane. She shouldn't have even come in the first place. But she knew, and could not deny, that Talon made her feel something she'd never felt before, something she craved and wanted more of.

She shook her head as she went up the stairs, mumbling to herself about how stupid she was. She'd sate this stupid desire of hers and leave, go back to Demacia and pretend none of this had ever happened.

The door at the end of the hallway was closed, the hinges seeming to be repaired after her last visit.

She took a deep breath and could feel her heart pounding violently in her chest, worried that it might burst out. Her hand shook as she raised it to knock on the door, but before she was able to even make contact a voice called out to her from behind the door.

"That you, birdie?"

Quinn's face flushed red as she attempted to stammer out a response.

"Y-Yes…"

"It's open."

This was it. There was no turning back anymore. The moment she stepped in that room she'd be risking everything, her reputation, her honor, all for some fling. But she'd already come this far.

Her hand didn't stop shaking, even as she twisted the doorknob and stepped inside the somewhat familiar room. It looked the same as she remembered, though the table had been propped up correctly with some of Talon's blades resting on it.

He stood by the window, looking out at the rain that had started to come down quite heavily. The cape of blades was missing, as was his infamous blue attire. Instead he wore a plain black shirt and pants, his hair no longer tied back but instead hanging loosely to brush at his shoulders.

As the door clicked shut behind Quinn, Talon turned his head to look back at her. Seeing him like this, in this dim room without his assassin gear, Quinn realized just how intimate the moment was. They weren't two enemies trying to kill each other anymore; they were just a boy and a girl alone in a room, allowed to do anything their hearts desired.

"Talon…"

"You can set your things down. I think I've made it very clear that I'm not going to kill you, so there's no reason to be armed."

Quinn just nodded, walking over to the table where his weapons rested and set her crossbow beside them. As she removed her cloak she could hear his footsteps and her heart only continued to slam against her ribcage, amazed that he couldn't hear it. She hadn't worn her armor this time, remembering how Talon mentioned she would be much more noticeable if she did, and without it she felt terribly exposed. Her shirt was tight and she suddenly felt like she was suffocating.

"Hey."

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to see that he had made his way over to her, practically on top of her. He reached a hand to stroke the side of her face and Quinn felt like she was going to pass out.

"You're scared," he said in a surprisingly gentle tone.

"Terrified," she admitted.

He chuckled to himself and took some of her hair between his fingers, twirling it methodically.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured, "…Unless you're into that kind of stuff."

Quinn choked out a laugh at that.

"No… at least I don't think so."

His other handed snaked around her waist, pulling her close against his broad chest.

"Perhaps we could find out?" he purred.

The Demacian felt her knees shake and had to brace herself against Talon's chest with her hands to avoid fainting on the spot.

"I…"

"I'm kidding. You Demacians are so uptight."

"If you think I'm uptight you should meet Garen."

"I'll pass. I've heard plenty of stories from Kat."

Their eyes met and time seemed to slow down. It was just the two of them in this world and nothing else mattered. There were no loyalties, no wars, no kingdoms. Just them.

Quinn's hand wandered up to his face absentmindedly and began tracing the several scars he'd acquired over the years. Talon stood still, eyes locked on her face as hers followed her fingers. Moments passed and her fingers found their way to his lips. There was a small scar by the corner of his mouth and she ran her finger over it curiously. Talon moaned ever so softly and Quinn froze, snapped out of the trance he'd put her under.

Their eyes met again, hers full of wonder and his ablaze with a burning desire. Quinn felt her heart thump in her chest one more time and then their lips had crashed together with immense passion. His hands were in her hair, grabbing tightly as she tried to adjust herself and find a place for her hands. She settled for his waist at first, but quickly began to claw her way up his back to find his shoulders.

His hands left her hair and for a moment she was disappointed. That problem was quickly solved, as he had reached for her ass and hoisted her up, keeping a firm grip as she scrambled to wrap her legs around his waist.

As he made his way towards the bed she noticed that he tasted faintly of alcohol. It was the one that he'd given her last time, the one that she'd loved and drank an entire bottle of. Now it was happening again, she was getting drunk all over from his kiss, but she didn't want it to stop. God, she never wanted him to stop.

* * *

Quinn collapsed back onto the bed, panting desperately for air as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. Talon grinned as he loomed over her, pleased with his work. He could feel the sting from the scratches she'd left on his back, still taste her lips on his. Her body was trembling, still coming down from the high he'd given her. He began to pull out, only for Quinn to whimper and grab at his shoulders, pulling him down and keeping him inside her.

"Not yet," she gasped, "Still… sensitive."

Talon didn't protest, propping himself up on his arms to avoid putting all of his weight on her. Her hands lingered at his shoulders, fingers ghosting over the skin she had turned red. She continued to breathe deeply in an attempt to stop herself from shivering so much but it was hard when he kept looking at her with those beautiful eyes of his.

"That wasn't forgetful, was it?" he asked teasingly.

Quinn groaned when he smirked at her, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Shut up…" she sighed.

Talon just chuckled and reached an arm up to his face to push away some of his hair. Most of it was plastered to his face with sweat, but a few loose strands had managed to escape, much to his annoyance.

A horrible storm raged outside, not unusual for Noxus, and a clap of thunder helped Quinn find her way back to reality.

"Alright," she breathed, "I think… I think you can move now."

Talon obliged, careful to be slow as he pulled out of her. She whimpered again but didn't try to stop him, gasping when he had finally removed himself completely. He rolled over to lay on his back beside her, staring up at the ceiling and listening as the rain pounded against the window.

They were silent, both attempting to steady their breathing and relax their muscles. The storm was relentless, wind howling so violently that it was a wonder the window wasn't blown open. There was a flash of lightning and then another, the thunder following closely behind.

"Why?"

Talon turned his head to the side to look at Quinn, whose face was still pointed at the ceiling. He wasn't sure if she'd meant to speak out loud, so he grunted in acknowledgement.

"Why me?" she asked.

The assassin wasn't sure what she meant.

"Why… why me, Talon?"

"I'm not sure I follow…"

"Why this? Why haven't you killed me?"

Her head fell to the side, eyes meeting his. They were dark and lost, clouded with confusion.

"I could ask you the same thing," he sighed.

"You're an assassin. You kill people, that's what you do. You kill Demacians."

She looked back up at the ceiling, knowing that looking into his eyes was a trap.

"You're right," he admitted, "I do kill people. But I also like to break the rules."

He sat up and leaned against the headboard. Its paint was flaking off and left some open splinters, causing Talon to adjust uncomfortably.

"You on the other hand, are a goody two-shoes."

Quinn scoffed as she felt his eyes fall on her, rolling over on her side to avoid his gaze.

"So I guess the real question," he continued, "Is why haven't _you_ killed _me?"_

The scout bit her lip. Why hadn't she killed him? She should've done so back in the forest when he'd fought off the Noxians who'd double-crossed him. Jarvan would've praised her and maybe Garen would've stopped being so hard on her.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Funny how that works, isn't it?"

His hand reached out to touch her shoulder and she shivered instantaneously, causing him to pull back. When she didn't respond, he looked out the window, counting how many seconds would pass between the lightning and thunder.

"Storm's getting closer," he said under his breath as he noticed the time shortening.

"It hardly ever storms this bad in Demacia," Quinn mumbled.

Talon laughed as he reached up to rub his shoulder, still sore from the wound.

"This is nothing for Noxus. I've seen much worse."

The bed creaked as Quinn finally sat up. She felt awkward and unsure, the complete opposite of how she'd felt twenty minutes ago when she was moaning Talon's name into his ear. Still confused as to why he hadn't killed her, she decided to bring the subject up again.

"Isn't it your duty to kill all Demacians you encounter?" she asked, "Isn't that the Noxian way?"

"Duty?" he turned to look at her and scoffed, "Duty requires loyalty. I don't believe in loyalties."

Quinn was surprised to hear that. She thought all Noxians were loyal to the kingdom's cause and would do anything to uphold it.

"You don't? But Noxians do everything to honor –"

"Only fools pledge their life to honor."

Again, she was caught off guard. It didn't make sense to her. She'd pledged her loyalty, her life to Demacia long ago, before she'd even joined the military, as had most Demacian citizens. Noxians were just as, if not more, proud of their heritage and sought to conquest other lands for the glory of Noxus.

"I know that's hard for you to understand," he said as if reading her mind, "But I grew up on the streets of Noxus. I know what a terrible shithole it is, so why would I want to defend it? I wanted to get out of here more than anything."

"So why didn't you?"

Talon laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Impossible. Had to kill to stay alive, so I got pretty good at killing. Got the attention of lots of guilds that wanted to recruit me."

"You said no?"

"I left the bodies of the assassins they sent for me in the gutters."

The scout gulped nervously.

"But then one day, I met one that I went even with. He was a master of the blade, seemed to know exactly what I'd do and was able to disarm me, sword at my neck. Turned out to be the General Du Couteau himself. Said I could either die or become an agent of the Noxian High Command."

Talon rose from the bed and wandered over to the small table on the other side of the room. He and Quinn had disposed of their weapons there, though they had been thrown rather hastily. The familiar blade was easy for him to spot and he took it in his hands. It was one of the smaller ones he kept, nothing as flashy as his cloak or the one he brandished on his arm, but he was quite fond of it. The Du Couteau initials were engraved in the hilt, and there was a slight curve to the tip of the blade.

"I accepted of course," Talon continued, "But I'd only obey him. I had no interest in serving Noxus, but I had to respect the man that was able to defeat me."

Quinn had been watching him silently, noticing the fond glint in his eyes when he picked up one of his blades.

"When he disappeared…"

He hesitated, gripping the hilt of the blade tightly in his hand. Without realizing what she was doing, Quinn left the bed as well, slowly making her way towards him.

"When he disappeared, I was free," he said through gritted teeth, "But… Over the years I'd come to respect him… He treated me as if I was his son…"

Quinn stood in front of him, his eyes focused on the blade in his hand. She could see him shaking with anger and instinctively reached up to place a hand on his shoulders. He flinched, his eyes darting up to look at her, widening as if he'd forgotten she was there. She offered him a reassuring smile and the warmth in her eyes caused a horrible ache in his heart.

"So I stayed," he finished, looking back down at the blade, "I know he wouldn't just disappear. He wouldn't leave us…"

He was caught off guard by Quinn wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a hug. She rested her face on his chest and squeezed him gently. His body stiffened instinctively, unsure of what to do. This was the first time he'd ever been properly hugged. What was he supposed to do?

"I lost my brother when I was younger," she said suddenly, "And he was everything to me. I know it's not the same, but… I understand what it's like to lose the person closest to you."

Talon felt a distinct wetness against his chest. Was she crying? Still wary, Talon set the blade back down on the table and cautiously wrapped his arms around her to return the embrace.

"I'm… sorry…" he mumbled awkwardly.

To his surprise, she laughed. It was weak and she choked it out, but she still laughed.

"I know you don't do feelings," she said softly, "It's ok. You don't have to say anything."

"But I –"

She nuzzled her face against his chest, stirring something inside his stomach that he hadn't felt before.

"This is fine," she whispered, "Stay… just like this."

He was grateful that she didn't ask him to pour out his feelings to her, but at the same time he felt like he was supposed to say something. But no words came to mind and instead he remained silent, eventually leaning his head down to rest on top of hers.

They stayed like that for a long time, their breathing falling in synch as they took in the scent of one another. The storm continued, the claps of thunder seeming to become quieter, a sign that it was heading another direction.

Talon noticed Quinn's grip on him loosen, her knees bending slightly. He took that as a sign of exhaustion and, without a word, lifted her up off the floor to carry her back to bed. She merely gave a weak moan, forcing herself to tighten a grip again to make sure he didn't drop her.

He laid her down gently, pushing some locks of hair out of her face before standing up straight and turning back towards the table to gather his belongings. Katarina would be wondering where he was and the sooner he got back the less suspicious she would be.

As he began to take a step he felt a tug at his hand. He turned his head to see that Quinn had grabbed him by the hand and was looking at him with pleading golden eyes.

"Stay."

Just one word. One word that tore into him in a way he hadn't expected.

"I… can't," he replied softly.

He tried to pull away but her grip tightened, pulling back with more force than he thought she had.

"Stay," she repeated, "I need… please."

Dammit, why did she have to look at him like that? Those eyes melted him and he was at her mercy. He'd already lied to Kat about being unable to find intel on their last excursion to Demacia, he'd be able to conjure up another lie with ease.

"Alright," he sighed, "Just this once."

A weak smile came to her lips as he went around to the other side of the bed and climbed in, reaching down to pull the blankets up and over them. Quinn immediately moved closer to him, snuggling into him as she rested her head on his shoulder and threw an arm over his chest.

Talon wasn't exactly sure what to do. With all the affairs of his past he'd just leave after the deed had been done, regardless of whether or not he had to kill them afterwards. Hesitantly, he rested his hand against her hair and ran his fingers through it, to which Quinn hummed in approval.

"Goodnight, Talon."

"Night, birdie."

* * *

 _Author's Note: That was faster than expected. I was on a roll and actually cranked out a couple chapters pretty quickly so the next one should be up soon. As usual, thank you for the feedback, it really helps when I know what aspects you guys do/don't like. See you next chapter~_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Talon woke first, never one to get a lot of sleep. There was still a faint drumming of rain against the window, but it seemed that the worst of the storm had passed. He moved to stretch but his limbs seemed to be locked in place. Confused, he looked around to see that Quinn had attached to herself to him, an arm and leg thrown over him and pulling him as close to her body as possible.

She was still asleep, a serene expression on her face that he hadn't seen before. A small smile crept onto his lips. He had to admit that she looked pretty cute like that, so pleasant and at peace.

Regardless, he wanted control over his limbs again, feeling some of the muscles he'd used last night ache from their confinement. He squirmed a bit and managed to push her arm and leg off, seizing the opportunity to stretch. A yawn escaped him and as he sat up, he realized just how well rested he felt. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so well.

There was a groan from Quinn, who seemed upset that she'd been moved from her comfortable position. Her arm searched for him, lazily sliding over the bed before finding one of his legs. She quickly latched on and pulled it to her chest, nuzzling her face into his thigh.

Talon laughed, the sight of her cuddling his leg too amusing for him to stay silent. Quinn's eyes blinked open wearily, tilting her head back to look up at the owner of the leg she was currently hugging. It took a moment for her vision to focus, but once she was able to make out his face she just smiled and went back to holding his leg.

"Morning, birdie," he chuckled, "What are you doing?"

"You moved," she answered through a yawn, "I was comfy… not very nice of you."

"Can't say I'm known for being very nice."

Quinn huffed and placed a hand on his other leg, realizing that there were several scars there as well for her to trace. Talon hummed in approval as her fingers glided over his skin and Quinn looked up at him in surprise.

"That… feels nice," he muttered.

"You have so many of them," she said in awe.

"I've been through a lot of shit. Comes with the territory."

She nodded thoughtfully, her hand wandering upwards to follow a particularly long scar that ran from his thigh up to his waist.

"Do you remember how you got them?" she asked.

"Not all of them, but some."

He reached down and placed his hand over hers, spreading their palms out to press against the end of the scar she'd been so fascinated with.

"That one's from a Shuriman thief," he explained, "Caught me completely off guard. He begged for his life after that, but they usually do."

Quinn finally sat up, keeping her hand pressed against his skin, enjoying the warmth he radiated. Talon's eyes wandered over to her body and he was surprised to see a long, jagged scar that went from her collarbone down to her hip, the only blemish on her otherwise flawless skin.

"How the hell did you get that?" he asked.

His hand left hers to touch her neck, his fingers brushing against the scar gingerly.

"Oh…"

She looked down at herself as if she had forgotten the scar was even there. She wished she could forget, but that damn scar would stay with her for the rest of her life.

"A tuskvore," she replied, "I was… I was visiting my brother's grave."

Her voice became shaky and Talon worried that she was going to start crying again.

"You don't have to explain," he assured, "I can tell that it's painful."

She nodded but continued to speak.

"It's alright… He'd died the year before… He and I were hunting in the mountains and ran into a group of Demacian nobles hunting the tuskvore. They couldn't kill it quickly enough and it gored many of them to death."

A single tear rolled down Quinn's cheek, but she couldn't stop herself from speaking. The words spilled out of her, the floodgates opened for the first time in years.

"Caleb and I tried to help… we drove it off, but the monster had gotten to my brother while he was protecting the matriarch. They helped me bury him there… And then on the anniversary of his death, the beast came back. It was the same one, some of my arrows had broken off but stayed lodged in its hide. I would've died if Valor hadn't shown up."

Talon hadn't known how Quinn had acquired her feathered companion, but it was clearly more personal than he'd thought.

Quinn's tears fell freely now and she tried fruitlessly to wipe them away.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled, "I… I've never really told anyone the whole story... I know you don't do emotions."

Her body trembled slightly and she began to pull away, but was suddenly wrapped up in Talon's arms, his hand raking through her hair soothingly. Quinn was stunned into silence.

"I don't do emotions," he said quietly, "But I'm not completely heartless. I'm… sorry for your loss."

For some reason that only pushed Quinn further over the edge and she began to sob into his chest, flinging her arms around him and squeezing him as tightly as possible.

Someone finally understood her. There was someone who shared her pain, someone that had also been left alone out of nowhere.

Talon wasn't sure what to do, he'd never really comforted somebody before. He kept stroking her hair as she seemed to like that, and decided to run his hand up and down her back, hoping that it would calm her down. It seemed to work, as her crying began to stop and she started to take several deep breaths.

"Thank you," she said softly, "You… you're not as bad as you seem."

"Don't tell anyone," he teased, earning a small laugh in response.

Silence filled the room as they remained in their embrace, their breathing slowly falling in synch as Quinn's became steadier. She pressed her forehead against his chest, studying the way it rose and fell in time with her heart.

They stayed like that a little while longer, though Quinn wished it could've been forever.

"The rain stopped."

Quinn pulled back to look up at him, finding his face tilted down towards her with his eyes closed. He was right; there was no longer the distinct patter of rain on the window and Quinn wondered just how long they'd been holding each other.

"It did," she replied.

His eyes opened and she saw the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly.

"This is nice," he said after a moment.

"It is," she breathed.

There was a pause before he spoke again.

"I want to see you again."

Quinn blinked and tilted her head in confusion.

"After this," he explained, "We have to go our own ways here, but I want to do this again."

Oh. Quinn had figured this would be a onetime thing, that he'd use her for sex and then be done with her. She hadn't expected him to have the slightest interest in continuing the affair.

"Really?" she asked.

"Is it that hard to believe? After everything that's happened and what we've shared… I don't want to go back to trying to kill each other… not yet at least."

She scoffed and pushed her forehead against his chest as he chuckled, squeezing her to assure that he was just joking.

"I… I would like to see you again, too."

It was true. Talon made her feel something no one else had and she didn't want that feeling to disappear anytime soon.

"How much longer are you staying in Noxus?" he asked.

"Only a few days. The only way I could convince Jarvan to let me back out into the field early was if I started out with a couple short missions."

Talon frowned, but an idea dawned upon him and his lips quickly turned up into a grin.

"Then we don't have that much time together," he breathed, "Perhaps we should get a second round in while we're here."

Quinn's face flushed as he kissed the side of her neck and squeezed her arms, unable to stop herself from letting out a weak moan.

"I-I can come back tonight," she gasped.

"While I normally wouldn't argue, it'd be too suspicious. Kat will wonder where I am and the patrons here will notice if we keep coming back every day… Sid has quite a few regulars that will stick their noses where they don't belong."

"Then what do we- ah!"

The assassin had bit at her throat and she gasped in surprise, not wanting to admit to herself how much that had turned her on.

"We'll have to space out visits," he hummed as he continued to nip at her neck, "Probably find other places to meet. For now, we can meet here again before you have to go back. Two days should be enough time to draw suspicion away. But since I have you here, right now…"

Suddenly Quinn was on her back, arms pinned above her head as Talon straddled himself above her. For the first time since she'd woken up she realized that they were both still completely naked and embarrassment washed over her. She trembled slightly as he leant over to whisper in her ear.

"Let me have you again."

The Demacian trembled at the sensuality that laced his words and moaned quite loudly when he bit her earlobe, squeezing her legs together tightly.

"Didn't you say Katarina was going to be suspicious?" she gasped, trying desperately to not throw herself at him.

"She can wait," he breathed, "Right now, I just want you."

Quinn's heart was racing as he trailed his lips down to her collarbone and she briefly wondered if it was just as loud to him as it was to her. She wasn't expecting to dive right back into things; she was still recovering from last night. Yes, it had been amazing and the most wonderful experience of her life, but she wasn't sure if she could do it again so soon.

"Talon…"

He paused to look at her, a brow cocked expectantly.

"Do you not want to?" he asked.

"No! I do, it's just…"

"Too fast?"

She was surprised how easily he was able to seemingly read her thoughts. Or was she just that obvious about her nervousness? After a moment of hesitation, she nodded, feeling more than a little pathetic.

Talon either didn't see her nod or chose not to, going back to littering her collarbone with kisses and gentle bites.

"Tell me when you want to stop," he whispered, "I'll go slowly and once we reach the point where you are done, I'll stop. Alright?"

He looked back up to make eye contact with her and she felt her stomach tie itself into knots when she saw his face, genuine and sincere, eyes filled with understanding.

"Alright," she breathed, "Ok… that sounds fair. Take it easy on me, alright?"

"No promises."

* * *

To her surprise, Quinn never ended up telling him to stop. Apparently, she had more stamina than she'd anticipated.

She tried to do her job for the next two days they were apart, but she found herself lost in thoughts of Talon.

Jarvan had wanted her to lay low and assess the state of Noxus overall and see if there were any spikes of aggression towards Demacia that seemed unusual. She'd wander the streets, listening from rooftops, only to hear uninteresting stories about looters and thieves, nothing that concerned Demacia. Since there didn't seem to be anything to worry about, her mind drifted to Talon and she'd remember the way his touch shot electricity through her entire body.

Her hand would often wander up to her neck and she'd run her fingers against the marks he had left there, remembering the way she'd moaned when he had bit her for the first time. It was odd at first, unusual, but when he began to suck at her skin she came undone, melting under his touch and begging for more.

The thought turned her face red and she quickened her pace, ready to see him again. She didn't bother trying to be stealthy this time, running up the stairs of the tavern as a few confused patrons watched her. Sid quickly pulled their attention away by offering more drinks and Quinn noted that she'd have to thank him later.

She didn't bother knocking on the door, instead letting herself inside and quickly closing the door behind her.

Talon was by the side table, setting down his weapons when she burst in, causing him to look over in surprise. His face eased into a smile when he saw the scout rushing to close the door behind her.

"Hey there, birdie," he said, "Most people knock, you know."

Quinn just rolled her eyes and sauntered over to him, taking his hands and setting them on her waist. He raised a brow, not expecting her to be so forward.

"Someone's eager," he teased, "I only got here a few minutes ago myself."

"I was worried you wouldn't show up," she admitted, "So I came as fast as I could."

"And pass up on more amazing sex? Not likely."

Quinn giggled like a schoolgirl as he squeezed her waist, her cheeks burning when he leant over to gently nip at her earlobe.

"But I do need to finish disarming myself, which you so rudely interrupted."

A small whine escaped Quinn's lips as he released her and Talon couldn't help but chuckle when he saw her pouting face.

"Patience, birdie," he sighed, "I've got a lot of blades to deal with here."

"Do you even use all of them?"

"No, but I will always be prepared if I need to."

Quinn huffed and set her crossbow down on the table as he returned to removing all of his hidden blades. She tossed her cloak on the floor and kicked her boots off as she made her way over to the bed, crashing down on it with a dramatic sigh.

"If you had waited, I would've been ready when you got here," he called, "This is your own fault."

She watched as he pulled a blade out of each of his boots and set them on the table next to the rest, yanking the boots off and throwing them to the side lazily. God, how many blades did he have? And how did he not stab himself with them whenever he moved?

After what felt like an eternity, Talon turned around to face her, apparently finished at long last. He leant back and rested his hands on the table, his eyes focusing on the girl that was currently sprawled on the bed. When she realized that he'd stopped disarming, she sat up excitedly, her heart beginning to race when she met his intense eyes with her own.

A few moments passed and nothing happened, much to Quinn's displeasure.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

He shrugged, a sly grin forming on his lips.

"Convince me," he purred.

Oh.

Quinn wasn't very experienced with sex, let alone seduction. What was she supposed to do?

When he saw the confusion on her face he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Seduce me," he said more firmly, "Be sexy. Or do you not want me?"

The scout knew that was definitely not the case. And how dare he make fun of her for her inexperience? What an ass.

With a determined look on her face, Quinn grabbed the bottom of her shirt and yanked it off in one, swift movement, tossing it to the side and placing her hands on her hips defiantly.

Talon laughed under his breath and nodded in approval.

"Better. Keep going."

Quinn's eyes wandered down to look at herself. She was wary to take anything else off, not wanting to be the only one naked when there was a smug Talon staring at her on the other side of the room. She'd have to solve that.

She practically leapt from the bed, Talon's eyes widening in surprise as she slinked up to him, a mischievous grin on her face. Before he could make one of his usual snarky comments, she grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, tossing it on the floor to join her own.

Talon squirmed slightly, startled by her boldness, but quickly recovered and flashed her another devilish grin.

"Not bad," he taunted, "Now what?"

She hesitated, slightly entranced by the sight of his bare chest. The scars that crisscrossed over his skin and the way his abs rippled when he breathed was enough to leave her breathless. Her eyes wandered further down, but the view was cut short by his pants.

Annoyed, Quinn reached for his belt and unbuckled it hastily, tugging it off slightly harder than she'd expected. She reached for his waist to unbutton him when his hand caught hers, holding it back so that her finger tips could just barely brush against him. She looked up and was met with Talon's face hovering in front of hers, his eyes blazing as he bit his lip seductively.

"Good girl," he purred, "But now it's my turn."

She began to protest, but he had already lifted her up and taken her to the bed, making quick work of her pants and reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra.

"Hey!" she gasped, her voice cracking when she heard the snap of the bra coming loose, "What happened to me convincing you?"

"You were taking too damn long," he growled, "It was driving me insane."

Her bra slid off and he pushed her down onto her back, kissing her neck hungrily and leaving those bite marks she loved so much.

"Wait!" she breathed, "I didn't get to finish with you."

She felt him smile against her neck and a deep laugh rumbled in his chest.

"I told you, I was getting impatient. Now shut up and let me fuck you."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I tried writing smut, it didn't work out very well. I might try to again but as of now I'm sticking to what I'm comfortable with. Next chapter will actually see some plot development! Yay! Things are going to happen! It might take a little while though cause I'm still figuring out how I want the story to go exactly. So bear with me, I'll try to update as soon as I can. Reviews are deeply appreciated as always. See you next time!_


	9. Chapter 9

Their affair was a whirlwind. They met as often as possible without drawing too much attention, taking to different taverns throughout Noxus, though the original was their favorite and therefore the one they visited most. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other, making love throughout the night and only getting minimal sleep. Quinn wanted it to never end, but they both had their lives to return to.

Talon informed her that Katarina was sending him to the Freljord, claiming that Grand General Swain had recently visited the Winter's Claw and it was Talon's job to investigate what exactly he was up to. Of course, he wouldn't decline, always eager to go after Swain due to his suspicions of the general's involvement with Marcus Du Couteau's disappearance.

Quinn planned on visiting him before he departed, but for now she was still in Demacia, wandering the streets aimlessly. There was a small marketplace nearby that boasted fares from all over Valoran, from Ionia to Shurima, so she decided to see if there was anything that might catch her eye.

Despite her best efforts, her thoughts wandered to Talon again. She was glad she'd get to see him before he left, but she was going to miss him terribly. She'd gotten used to their routine and had no idea how long it would be until she saw him again.

She stopped in front of one of the vendors from Ionia, their booth decorated with intricate jewelry, fabric and stones. There were a few scarves hanging down from the top of the booth and they blew gently in the breeze. Quinn tilted her head in thought. Perhaps Talon would like one. He was going to the Freljord after all and now that winter was approaching it was going to be even more cold than usual.

Most of the scarves were flashy, with metallic embroidery or bold designs, things that didn't match Talon at all. He preferred to be unseen and never drew attention to himself. But there was one that seemed different than the others; it was simple, just a plain deep red color with nothing ornate about it.

"How much?" Quinn asked the vendor as she pointed to the scarf.

"Oh, that one isn't finished," the vendor replied, "None of the embroidery has been added…"

"That's fine, I'll take it as is."

The vendor shrugged and agreed, still charging her full price despite it not being as nice as the others.

"Quinn!" a voice called.

The scout turned her head in surprise, the vendor dropping the scarf in her hand as he counted the coins she'd given him.

It was Lux, of all people, running over to her excitedly. Garen didn't seem to be with her, for which Quinn was grateful. He'd probably hound her about being gone on missions for so long and she couldn't exactly tell him why.

"Hi, Lux," Quinn said as the girl approached her.

Lux's eyes were bright with curiosity as she examined the scarf in Quinn's hand.

"What's that?" she asked, "Getting ready for winter?"

"It's not for me, actually."

"Oh! Is it for that guy you like?"

Quinn's grip on the scarf tightened nervously. She'd completely forgotten that she'd mentioned her "crush" to Lux. Now that her relationship with Talon had intensified, she didn't know how to explain herself to the blonde.

"Y-Yes," she answered, "It's a gift… he's visiting the Freljord soon, so I thought –"

"Aw, how sweet of you! He's lucky to have such a thoughtful girlfriend – oh! Are you two dating officially now? I mean you're getting him a gift and all so I just thought…"

Quinn couldn't help but smile at Lux's inquisitive nature. There was something endearing about how naïve she really was.

"More or less," Quinn said softly.

"Congratulations!" Lux squealed, "What's his name? Where's he from? What does he do for a living? You should introduce him to everyone in the Vanguard!"

Oh, if only she knew what a horrible idea that was. Hell would freeze over before Jarvan let a Noxian into Demacia. And if he was to find out about Quinn's relationship with Talon he'd probably start a war out of rage.

"I'm sorry, I'm being nosy," Lux said sheepishly, "It's just… You're really nice Quinn and I like talking to you so I get carried away sometimes."

The blonde looked away embarrassed and Quinn rested a hand on her shoulder, offering her a warm smile when she looked back at her.

"That's very sweet of you, Lux," she said, "I'm about to leave for a mission, but when I come back maybe we could spend some time together? Do… whatever it is girls do. I'm not sure, I didn't have a lot of friends growing up."

It was sad, but true. Caleb had been her best friend and after his death, she became increasingly anti-social, not wanting to get attached to anyone in fear that she'd lose them again. All she'd really had was Valor, and while she adored him, she did miss human companionship. That's probably why she spent as much time possible with Talon, she thought. He was the only person she'd allowed herself to get close to since she lost Caleb.

Lux beamed at her and nodded vigorously, not minding Quinn's awkward explanation of her past.

"That sounds fun!" she squealed, "I'd really like that."

"Me too… But I do have to get going, I've got to get to Noxus."

"Alright! Are you taking your boyfriend his present on your way? Is he Noxian?"

Quinn hesitated, caught off guard by the abrupt question. She wasn't sure how Lux felt about Noxians. It was safe to say that most, if not all Demacians hated Noxians with every fiber of their being, but some were more tolerant than others. But she wasn't sure if Lux was one of those people.

"I'm kidding," Lux laughed, "Can you imagine? That'd be crazy."

"Yeah… crazy."

"Have a safe trip!" Lux called as Quinn quickly tried to escape.

The scout merely waved her hand back, worried that she might blurt something out that she knew she'd instantly regret. Now she knew not to mention Talon's Noxian heritage to Lux if that ever came up again.

She clutched the scarf tightly against her chest and took a deep breath. Yes, this entire affair was ridiculous, but she had strong feelings for Talon, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Was it love? She didn't think so, but she couldn't deny that there was something there. Something warm that bubbled up inside her whenever she felt his touch. She knew he would never feel the same, that he didn't do emotions, but that was okay with her. All she wanted was to be with him and to be in his arms. That was enough.

* * *

"A gift?"

Talon was surprised when the Demacian informed him that she got him something, cocking his brow as she rummaged through her satchel. She presented her gift with a wide smile, eagerly awaiting his response. It seemed to be some red fabric, which only confused Talon further.

"It's a scarf!" she explained when he didn't speak, "I thought it might help keep you warm while you're in the Freljord."

"Quinn…"

Her heart fluttered when he said her name, something he didn't do very often. His voice was genuinely sincere for once and he tilted his head to the side as a smile formed on his lips.

"That's sickeningly sweet of you," he teased, "Thank you."

She beamed, throwing the scarf over his head and wrapping around his neck for him. Talon grumbled in protest, but allowed her to continue. He couldn't help but notice the way her face was glowing and he didn't have the heart to stop her.

Quinn stepped back and admired her work. It seemed she'd been a little too enthusiastic and had wrapped it too tight, causing him to pull at it in an attempt to loosen it up. He pulled it up slightly to cover his mouth, preferring not to be so exposed.

"How do I look?" he asked sarcastically.

He'd folded his arms across his chest and furrowed his brows to give off a rather menacing appearance.

"Honestly? You look kinda scary… Don't look at me like that!"

Talon had narrowed his eyes at her comment, apparently unamused by being called scary. He unwound the scarf from around his neck and stepped back to close the gap between them. Quinn tilted her head confused as he gently placed the scarf over her shoulders.

"I think," he said thoughtfully, "It would look better on you."

Quinn felt color rush to her cheeks as he gingerly wrapped the scarf once around her neck, chuckling when she looked away in embarrassment. He tucked some of her hair behind her ear and took her chin gently, turning her face back to look at him.

"I was right," he murmured, "You look nice in red. Matches your face."

"Shut up!"

She shoved him playfully and attempted to hide her face behind the scarf, but he quickly grabbed the ends of the scarf and pulled himself back, resting his forehead against hers.

"Make me," he teased.

Happy to accept the challenge, Quinn rose on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips to which he hummed contentedly. She pulled away after a moment, smiling when she saw the pleased look on his face.

"You know," he sighed, "Kat wants to me leave as early in the morning as possible tomorrow."

Quinn pouted. She'd been hoping that he wouldn't talk about the trip and instead focus on spending as much time together as possible while they had the chance. But now he was reminding her of just how little time they had left.

"Which means," he continued, "That I'm not letting you get any sleep tonight. I have other plans."

That was enough to send her heart racing again.

"Promise?" she asked teasingly.

"I can promise that you won't be able to walk right by the time I'm through with you."

"Talon-!"

He'd swept her up in his arms as he usually did, carrying her to the bed while she pretended to fight back against him. He tossed her down onto the mattress and she burst into a fit on nervous giggles. Something was different about him tonight but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The way he looked at her, his eyes seeming to spark with an idea, caused her to tremble ever so slightly.

"That scarf really does suit you," he murmured, "I'd like to see you in it… and nothing else."

Quinn felt her stomach flip and an embarrassed squeaking noise escaped her lips when words were unable to. After the last time she'd attempted to be seductive, Talon usually took the reins with foreplay and Quinn had no problems with that. She was certainly less experienced than him and didn't want to mess anything up. What if Talon laughed at her or made fun of her? Or stopped wanting her?

"Um… I…"

Talon noticed that she avoided his gaze and placed a hand on her cheek reassuringly.

"I won't make you do anything you don't want," he assured, "But we're not going to see each other for quite a while… Thought it might be a nice bonus gift."

The Demacian couldn't help but giggle a little, though she was still fairly nervous. She didn't want to make herself look stupid, but at the same time she wanted to give Talon what he wanted.

"Fine," she sighed, "But I have rules."

"Oh?"

"You're not allowed to laugh at me –"

"Birdie, I would never –"

"And you're not allowed to touch."

He quirked a brow at that, his interest caught.

"Alright. Seems fair."

Quinn nodded in approval and climbed off the bed as Talon adjusted himself to sit on the edge of it, watching her carefully. Her body was shaking as she stood in front of him, but she had made up her mind.

With a deep breath, she tugged her shirt off over her head, struggling momentarily since the scarf was still wrapped around her neck. Talon watched intently as she tossed the shirt to the side, enjoying the view.

Baby steps, she thought. There was no rush. She could take her time and do things at her own pace. Her pants were next, which were hastily thrown away to join her shirt. Now came the hard part.

Quinn looked down at herself, confirming that she was indeed in only her underwear at this point. She frowned at the sight of her chest, always having been self-conscious about not being particularly well-endowed.

"They're lovely."

She looked up, surprised to hear Talon's voice. She'd been lost in her thoughts too long and had briefly forgotten he was there.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Your breasts. They're very nice. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

Her face burned red and she instinctively folded her arms over her chest to cover herself. Talon moved to stand and reach for her, but she quickly took a step back and shook her head.

"No touching, remember?"

Talon scoffed and sat back down, crossing his arms as he waited for her to continue.

His little comment had given her a slight boost in self-esteem and she was reenergized, filled with a newfound determination.

She took her time removing her bra, smirking at the impatient expression on Talon's face before tossing it away as well.

"See?" he remarked, "I told you. Beautiful."

Quinn had to fight the urge to immediately fling herself on him, biting her lip to suppress the urge. Apparently, that struck a nerve with Talon as he squirmed uneasily, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. She felt like she should say something, but worried that something stupid would come out if she dared to open her mouth.

Instead she hooked her thumbs through the sides of her panties, pulling them down slightly only to change her mind and keep them on, much to Talon's frustration. He attempted to reach out and yank her hand down, but she was quick to smack his hand away, shaking her head in disapproval.

"I said no touching," she taunted.

"You're killing me here, woman. Put me out of my misery."

"Maybe if you ask nicely."

Talon groaned when she grinned at him mischievously.

"Would you _please_ hurry up? I'm not a man known for my patience."

Quinn rolled her eyes but obliged, slipping off the panties as slowly as possible just to infuriate the assassin further. Once they were at her ankles she kicked them to the side, grabbing the tails of the scarf and pulling them down against her side.

Talon's eyes were heavily lidded and burnt with passion, subconsciously licking his lips as he admired her naked body.

"Fuck," he breathed after a moment, "You really do look good in red."

She smiled bashfully, wanting to hide her face again. It was difficult, but she suppressed the urge and instead stepped closer to Talon, sitting down on his lap to straddle him.

"Your turn," she whispered.

She didn't have time to process what happened next, but it took only a moment for her to be on her back with a very enthusiastic Talon ravaging her neck and groping the breasts she'd been so insecure about just moments ago.

Her moans were so loud that Talon had to shush her gently, petting her hair gently to calm her down.

"Easy there, we're just getting started," he teased.

"Talon…"

Her breathing had already become ragged and she couldn't stop squirming against his touch. He loved to see her like that, to know that he was the reason she melted into a puddle.

"Yes?" he asked, not really expecting a response.

She moaned again when he grinded his hips against hers, her breath hitching violently.

"Fuck!" she gasped, "Fuck me, Talon!"

Her voice was music to his ears.

"I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

 _Author's Note: And we have finally started on actual plot! Woo! I really wanted to develop the relationship between Quinn and Talon first, even it it's a strictly physical relationship at this point. Now that we've gotten the ball rolling, things are going to start happening! I'm currently working on the next chapter, but I'm not sure how soon it'll be up since I'm debating on which direction to take the story in. So yeah, there you go! Reviews are always loved and thank you for all the favorites and follows!_


	10. Chapter 10

It was official: Quinn was miserable. She'd returned to Demacia and had been waiting for a new mission assignment for nearly two weeks, caged up in her room with nothing to do aside from the occasional training sessions Garen required the Vanguard to participate in.

When Jarvan finally decided to announce the mission assignments, Quinn couldn't be happier. It was suffocating staying in Demacia too long, and while she loved her kingdom, she preferred to be out serving it instead. It also gave Valor the opportunity to properly stretch his wings, which he was always happy to do. Said bird was currently perched on Quinn's shoulder, alert and focused as he waited for his assignment.

The members of the Dauntless Vanguard had all been lined up and Jarvan IV himself was assigning the missions, a task he usually left to Garen due to his busy schedule.

"I apologize for the delay, but I've come to inform you all of your latest missions," he explained, "Demacia is in a fairly peaceful time, so there's nothing terribly dangerous for you to worry about."

Damn. Quinn had never been a fan of domestic missions, but if it got her back out in the world then she wouldn't complain.

The prince first addressed Fiora and explained her mission, but Quinn didn't bother to pay attention. As usual, her thoughts had wandered to Talon.

They'd been apart multiple times during their affair, but it seemed different this time. Katarina had sent him away and neither knew how long he'd be gone. A few weeks at the least, he'd said, which Quinn felt was far too long. He'd just laughed and assured her they'd be together again soon. She felt her stomach flip as she remembered their parting embrace, the way he'd kissed her forehead and held her hand as long as he could. She hoped that the scarf she'd gotten him was keeping him warm.

"Quinn."

The scout was snapped out of her daydream and turned her attention to Jarvan, who had at some point made his way to stand in front of her. He seemed concerned about the distance in her eyes, but decided it best not to bring it up in front of the entire vanguard.

"Freljord," he said simply, "To the Avarosan tribe. You'll be acting as an emissary, informing their leader that we extend our hand during this time of rising tension between them and the Winter's Claw. We are already on friendly terms with the Avarosa, so it shouldn't be too difficult a mission."

Quinn couldn't believe her ears. Jarvan was sending her to the Freljord? The exact place that Talon was? This seemed too perfect to be a coincidence, but Quinn wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.

"Yes, Your Highness," she replied, Valor squawking in agreement.

Jarvan nodded and Quinn couldn't help but notice the glint of worry in his eyes before he moved on to address the next member. But she was too thrilled to think anything of it. She was going to the Freljord! Granted, she couldn't guarantee that she'd be able to find Talon, but the odds were a lot better than if she were to remain in Demacia.

Valor made a small disgruntled sound and Quinn reached up to stroke him reassuringly.

"I know, you hate the cold," she sighed.

The bird nodded, ruffling his feathers as if to emphasize his distaste.

"If I could get you a scarf too, I would," she teased.

Quinn laughed softly when the eagle rolled his eyes at her, clearly unamused about being compared to Talon in any way.

Once he finished assigning missions, Jarvan dismissed himself to return to his usual obligations, but not before instructing everyone to carry out their assignments swiftly.

As Quinn began to return to her room to prepare, she was stopped by Lux, who seemed like she was about to burst from excitement.

"Quinn!" she squealed, "Are you excited for your assignment?"

"It's nothing exciting, but I suppose so."

Lux looked around to make sure that the others weren't listening and spoke quietly.

"I know you said your boyfriend was going to the Freljord. So, I _might_ have mentioned to Jarvan that you were interested in going."

No wonder she'd gotten so lucky. Quinn couldn't help but beam and wrap her arms around the smaller girl. It was impulsive and she quickly pulled away, but Lux didn't seem to mind judging by the grin on her face.

"Of course," Lux continued, "I tried to convince him to let me go with you. That didn't work though. I'm stuck here with Garen as usual."

"Thank you," Quinn said, "Really, I owe you."

"When you come back you have to tell me everything! That seems like a fair deal to me."

The scout laughed nervously, playfully ruffling Lux's hair. She had no idea what would happen on this mission and she knew the girl was referring specifically to anything that involved Talon. If anything did happen, she wasn't sure how much she'd be able to tell. Regardless, she could at least humor Lux.

"Sure. And you can tell me about your boyfriend."

The blonde's face turned a brilliant crimson and her confidence seemed to evaporate as she turned into a stuttering mess.

"Boyfriend!" she squeaked, "I-I don't have a boyfriend! Me? Never! No way! I mean, there's this one guy… But he's not my boyfriend!"

Quinn laughed again and placed a reassuring hand on Lux's shoulder. She hadn't really expected Lux to react in such away and wondered if Garen knew about his little sister's infatuation.

"Alright, fine," she said, "You can tell me about your _crush_ when I get back."

Lux stammered to try and find an answer but came up short, turning her head away in shame.

"I gotta go!" she said quickly, "I think, uh, Garen needs me! Bye Quinn! Have a safe trip!"

Before Quinn could stop her, Lux had already run off to follow her brother, who had luckily been nowhere near to hear that disaster of a conversation. Quinn smiled fondly as she watched the two return to the citadel, Valor squawking loudly.

"Jealous?" Quinn teased, "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll still give you plenty of chin scratches whether she has a boyfriend or not."

Valor squawked again, quieter this time, happy with Quinn's answer.

"Now," she sighed, "Let's go get ready. Maybe I'll let find a scarf for you to borrow."

* * *

While she'd teased Valor about his dislike of the cold, Quinn had to admit that she wasn't the biggest fan of it either. The cloak she wore was thicker than her usual one, but the frigid wind was relentless against her skin. She tugged at the fabric to pull it tighter, but it was of little help.

Valor called to her, flying at a higher altitude than normal in an attempt to avoid the heavy winds. She raised an arm in acknowledgment and pushed forward, her lips feeling as if they had frozen shut.

Their journey had been pleasant up until now, and Quinn was quickly regretting her quick agreement to this mission. It could've been worse, she thought. It was only late autumn and the cold now was nothing compared to that in the winter, when men were frozen into statues where they stood.

Still, her teeth chattered as she trudged along, grateful that the snow wasn't deep yet. She'd visited the Freljord before, although it had been in the spring, and was somewhat familiar with where she was going. She had come to a small lake that had recently frozen over and took a deep breath. The Avarosa were near, maybe another hour or two at the most if she were to cross the lake instead of going around it. She sighed as she thought of reaching the village, longing for the roaring fire she knew would be waiting for her.

Valor's screech brought her out of her daydream, her body stiffening as she focused herself to be more alert. He'd sounded concerned, as if there was a possible threat, but Quinn saw nothing but the frozen lake and the sparse woods behind it. Most of the trees had already lost their branches, so she couldn't imagine anyone trying to hide or take cover in them.

Quinn forced herself to open her mouth, feeling the skin on her lips crack after being sealed shut for so long.

"What do you see up there?" she called out.

It was silent for a moment and Quinn wasn't sure if he'd been able to hear her over the wind. She looked up and was surprised to find that Valor was nowhere to be seen. Had he flown that high up?

"Valor?" she cried, panic rising in her voice.

Without thinking, she had wandered onto the frozen lake, scanning the sky for her companion. She could hear the ice creak beneath her weight, but was too concerned about Valor to notice.

"Valor!"

After what felt like days, Valor finally answered. He squawked at her again, his body finally appearing above her though it was blurry against the wind and snow. He'd sounded annoyed which was extremely unlike him.

"Val, what is it?"

He squawked again, but Quinn couldn't understand what he meant. Was there something ahead she needed to worry about? She looked away from the sky and realized that she'd gotten halfway across the lake without any attempt at caution.

"Shit," she breathed.

How had she been so careless? One wrong step and she'd fall into the icy water beneath her. She wasn't sure what would be worse: drowning or freezing to death. Her body trembled at the thought.

It took a moment for her to calm herself, but once she'd taken a deep breath she managed to continue her journey, stepping as softly and carefully as possible, her eyes locked on the forest ahead.

There were a few pines that were still full of needles, but most of the trees were barren, their leaves dead and brown against the snowy forest floor. As she cautiously made her way forward, Quinn thought she was one of the trees moving. Squinting her eyes, she tried to get a better look.

It was a tall, black silhouette, that was certain, and it was definitely heading her direction. Had this been what Valor had warned her about earlier? But he seemed annoyed at the matter, as if whatever it was would just be a mild inconvenience.

There was no doubt that it was a person as it came closer, Quinn able to see the fabric of their cloak flapping violently in the wind. Their hood was pulled over their head and they were staring downwards, probably in an attempt to protect their face from the bitter wind.

Should she call out to it? It was clear that the figure had no idea she was there, as it just kept moving forward, looking down and unaware of its surroundings. She wasn't sure if this person was friendly or not and she was already in a precarious situation on the ice. What would they do once they reached the ice? Would they try to cross it as she had? Or would they go around?

Quinn glanced up at Valor, who was still flying above her, seemingly unfazed by the figure in front of them. Her eyes darted back to the figure and, despite her gut telling her not to, she opened her mouth to call out to Valor. But she was drowned out by a particularly strong gust of wind, one that nearly sent her falling. She flung out her arms in an attempt to keep her balance and held her breath, waiting for the ground to swallow her. Once she felt stable enough, she looked back over to the figure.

The wind had blown off its hood and Quinn was able to make out a dark mop of hair that flew around haphazardly as the person attempted to put their hood back on. There was a blur of color around their neck, a familiar blood red that made Quinn's heart race. It was impossible, but she had to try.

"Talon!"

The figure looked in her direction, clearly surprised to hear another voice. She could tell they were inspecting her and for a moment she was worried that she'd been mistaken.

"What the hell are you doing?" he cried.

Quinn was relieved to hear the familiar rough voice and couldn't help but laugh softly. What were the odds that they'd meet here, in all the places of the Freljord?

"Idiot, you're walking on ice! You're gonna get yourself killed!"

It was almost cute, the way he seemed worried about her. She knew he wasn't, as he had made it clear he wasn't invested in his feelings, but she still smiled thoughtfully. He'd begun to make his way towards the edge of the lake and Quinn started to explain herself when something whizzed through the air.

An arrow had lodged into the ice mere inches in front of Quinn, creating a crack that made Quinn's eyes go wide. Her hands reached for her crossbow, but she couldn't see where the arrow had come from. Valor shrieked from above and Talon drew his blade, body tense as he listened for some form of movement.

The silence was deadly and Quinn swore she could hear the ice cracking under her feet. She wanted to move but worried that the shift in weight would only cause the ice to give way. Her finger hovered against the trigger, itching to pull, but at what enemy?

Talon took a step towards her, nearly at the edge of the lake.

"Stay there!" he called, "I'm going to come to you."

Quinn wanted to yell at him that it was too dangerous, but the words caught in her throat.

"Don't move!" he warned, "Just… stay still!"

She opened her mouth to reply when another arrow soared through the air, this time lodging itself in the scout's calf. Her scream sent Valor in a frenzy and he took off having seen where the arrow had come from this time.

As she stumbled, she pulled back on the trigger, sending a bolt flying through the air, lodging itself in a tree after missing Talon by a foot. The crossbow fell from her grasp and skid a few feet away out of her reach. She'd barely been able to remain standing, the crack from the initial arrow having spread out like a spider web.

"Don't move!"

There was an edge to Talon's voice that Quinn had never heard, something that she might've thought was concern had it been anyone else.

She nodded and looked down at her leg, wincing at the sight of the arrow and the blood that seeped from the wound, turning the ice at her foot a brilliant crimson.

This wasn't how she'd wanted to die. She knew the ice would break and she'd be at mercy of the unforgiving water. Talon wouldn't save her, she knew that. He didn't care for her and had no reason to risk his life for hers. The realization brought a tear to her eye.

"Talon!" she called.

He'd reached the lake and was examining it when her voice reached him. The fear in her voice sent a chill down his spine and he looked up to meet her gaze. Even as far as they were, he could see the terror in her face, the glistening of her golden eyes as a tear rolled down her cheek.

She wasn't sure what had caused it. A shift in her weight, the tear falling to the ice or perhaps fate just growing bored with her. But before she could finish speaking the ice collapsed and she fell into the water.

 _"Quinn!"_

He'd called her name, she thought. It felt as if thousands of small needles were being jabbed into her skin, paralyzing her and still she smiled. She'd always loved it when he called her by her name.

The arrow in her leg was a brick, dragging her down despite her attempts to fight her way back to the surface. Cold seeped into her veins, rendering her limbs motionless. Her fingers reached to find something, anything, but only flailed helplessly through the water.

So this was how she would die. She thought about her parents back in Uwendale and how they'd have to go through the grief of losing a child all over again, as if the first time hadn't been difficult enough. She thought of Caleb and how disappointed he'd be in her, coming so close to their goal of bringing glory to Demacia, only to fall short. She thought of Valor, her loyal companion who was probably screaming for her up above, wondering what would happen to him without her after they had been together for so long.

And she thought of Talon. She saw his face, sharp and harsh, only softening for her when she laughed. How he'd hold her throughout the night, despite insisting he'd leave every time. The way he'd kiss her relentlessly and how she'd melt against his touch. She realized that maybe she was growing feelings for the Noxian, feelings that she knew were dangerous and had no place in their strictly physical relationship. But the smile he'd given her when she gave him the scarf made her think that maybe, just maybe, she wasn't the only one who felt something.

For a moment, she thought she heard something, as if something else had fallen in the water above her. Probably more ice, she told herself. Her lungs had run out of air and she could feel her consciousness slipping away from her. She managed to look up as her eyes began to close, lips parting as her final breath escaped them. There was a blur of red and she thought she saw a hand reaching out for her.

And then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Alright, I wasn't expecting to be updating so quickly but I've just been writing nonstop lately, which is both a blessing and a curse. I'll do my best to keep the momentum up, but I know it won't last forever and you'll have to bear with me when updates become weekly or bi-weekly. Also, please take your time to leave a review, they honestly mean so much to me and motivate me to write more than anything. Even if it's just a few words, I love hearing your thoughts and knowing that some of you out there really like this stuff. That's all for now, sorry about the cliffhanger!_


	11. Chapter 11

Quinn woke with a start, eyes snapping open as she inhaled sharply. She wanted to sit up, but her body was numb and heavy, only allowing her to move her head slightly. To her surprise, she was in a bed, covered in several blankets and furs. There was the sound of a fire crackling nearby and judging by the wooden walls and floor she was in a cabin of some kind.

"Ah, you're awake!"

The booming voice was unfamiliar and caused Quinn to jump slightly, whipping her head towards the stranger. He was huge, probably even bigger than Garen. What he lacked in hair he made up for with an impressive moustache, and despite the fact that he looked like he could snap someone in half with ease, he had an inviting smile that lit up his face.

Quinn watched silently, slightly terrified, as the man made his way to the fire where a pot was boiling. He ladled the pot's contents into a bowl and brought it to Quinn, who had attempted to move to the side of the bed to get as far from his as possible.

"Do not worry, small one," the man assured, "You are safe with Braum."

He offered the bowl to her, nodding eagerly when she looked at it suspiciously.

"It's good for you, makes you strong."

The scout wasn't sure she should be accepting food from someone she knew nothing about and shook her head meekly. The man, Braum she assumed, shrugged and set the bowl on the table at her bedside.

"I'm sorry, but where am I?" she asked, "How did I get here?"

"You are in Avarosa territory. I found you by the ice thanks to your feathered friend."

As if on cue, Valor squawked, having been asleep on the other side of the room but quickly waking up at the sound of Quinn's voice. He flew over to her side, nuzzling her face and cooing affectionately. Quinn smiled, happy to see that Valor was alright. But Braum's words had caused her memory to come rushing back.

The ice had cracked and she'd fallen in, losing her consciousness not too long after. Valor had probably gone to find help, but she should've drowned by the time he'd come back with Braum.

"You said you found me _by_ the ice?" she asked.

"Correct," he said, "Your companion lost consciousness once I arrived, so I'm still unsure of what happened before I arrived. He hasn't said much since he woke up."

Talon.

Quinn's heart skipped a beat. Had Talon pulled her from the water? It was too crazy to be true.

"Where is he?"

"To walk. Get the blood pumping again. You were both soaked to the bone."

He went after her. He'd jumped in and saved her.

Blood rushed to her cheeks and Braum quickly reached out to place a hand on her forehead, worried that she'd caught a fever.

"I'm alright," she said quickly, "I'm just surprised that he would do that."

"Why not? He's your partner, yes? A man must protect the woman he loves."

That was enough to turn her into a stuttering mess, her face turning even redder than before. Valor rolled his eyes as the scout tried to explain that no, Talon didn't love her, but yes, they were technically together.

She was interrupted by the door creaking open, and though she still wasn't able to sit up, Quinn was able to tilt her head and spot the familiar figure. Speak of the devil.

"Ah, welcome back!" Braum boomed, "Your lady has just woken up, though she is still weak."

Talon was silent as he closed the door behind him, making his way over to stand beside Braum. He still wore the scarf to Quinn's delight, but it hid most of his face, preventing her from being able to read his expression.

"Tal–"

"Leave us."

His voice was rough and curt, a tone she hadn't heard from him in a long time. There was something different about him, his eyes cold. Braum knew better than to argue with a Noxian and swiftly dismissed himself, assuring Quinn that he would return shortly to make sure she was alright.

"Talon."

Quinn finally managed to push herself up onto her elbows and sit up, resting her back against the headboard to avoid having to hold herself up. She noticed that she'd been put in a warm fur robe and would have to thank Braum later.

Talon remained silent, his eyes darting to the bowl that Braum had set beside her earlier. Without a word, he sat down on the edge of the bed, taking the bowl in his hands. Quinn furrowed her brows in confusion as he held the bowl in front of her.

"Drink," he ordered.

"Talon, what's going on? What happened? You seem different –"

"Drink," he repeated, pushing the bowl closer to her face.

It didn't seem like he was in the best of moods, so she figured it would be best to do what he asked for now. She lifted her hands to take the bowl from him, but they trembled violently. Talon rolled his eyes and sighed, bringing the bowl to her lips.

"Open."

Quinn obeyed, allowing him to tilt the bowl into her mouth. She had no idea what exactly it was, but it was rich and warm on her tongue, her insides heating up pleasantly. When she pulled back after a sip, Talon shook his head and pressed the bowl to her lips again.

"You've been out for two days," he said, "You need energy."

"Two days?"

"Yes, drink."

Despite her attempts to ask him more, he refused, keeping the bowl at her lips until she had finished the entire thing. It left a pleasant warmth in her stomach, but she still had questions.

"What happened?"

"You fell in the water like an idiot."

Quinn puffed her chest in annoyance.

"It's not like I wanted to!"

"You shouldn't have been on the ice in the first place," he snapped.

He was right, but Quinn didn't want to admit it. She deflated instead, looking down at her lap guiltily.

"I jumped in after you," he continued, "Your bird took care of the attacker and then went to get help. Got you back on land and I lost consciousness. Woke up here. That's all there is to it."

It certainly didn't seem like that was all there was to it. Hand still shaking, Quinn reached out to take his, not expecting him to jerk away so quickly. He cast his head to the side, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why what?"

"Why did you go in after me?"

His eyes were on the fireplace, watching the flames lap against the metal of the pot. He had been asking himself the same question ever since he'd dragged her off the ice and he wasn't sure if he knew the answer.

"I don't know," he admitted.

Quinn could sense his discomfort, the way he folded his arms across his chest and tried to bury his face deeper into his scarf were clear signs that he was trying to avoid the situation. But she wasn't satisfied with his answer.

"How do you not know?" she demanded, "That's not something you just do for no reason!"

He remained silent, eyes intent on the raging fire.

Something burned inside Quinn. Anger. Frustration. How could he be so indifferent? If Valor hadn't found help then they would both be dead right now.

"You risked your life!" she insisted, "You could've died!"

"Would you rather I have left you to die?" he spat, "At this rate perhaps I should've."

The words were laced in venom and Quinn found herself physically flinching away from him. His gaze on the flames had not broken, unwilling to look her direction. She could feel her heart ache and became angry with his sudden coldness. It was as if he was reverting back to his assassin persona, treating her like a cold hearted Noxian would. The Noxian he was. If that's what he wanted, then she'd return the favor.

"There's no reason for you to save me? Why would you risk your life for me when there are plenty of other whores for you to pleasure yourself with?"

 _"Idiot!"_

Before she could say anything else, he'd flung himself on top of her, arms pinned against the headboard on either side of her. The coldness had left his eyes and the fire had returned, burning more intensely than she'd ever seen. She could feel his hot breath on her face as he panted in frustration, trembling nervously at his sudden aggression.

"Is that what you think of me?" he growled, "That I'm one of the heartless monsters your beloved prince has painted Noxians to be?"

Quinn's mouth hung agape, shocked at his words. She wanted to tell him no, but there was a knot in her stomach that stopped her from speaking. There was a truth to what he said. She thought he didn't feel anything, but the pain in his eyes said otherwise.

"I wasn't going to stand there and watch you die, you stupid girl. I'm not… I'm not that heartless."

She finally managed to move her arms, reaching up to place her hand against his cheek even though it still shook. His breathing began to steady at her touch, his eyes closing in thought.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I thought you didn't care."

"So did I."

His lips found hers and he kissed her more gently than she thought possible, as if he was afraid the slightest touch would break her. It was so different than his usual kisses, so thoughtful and sweet that she could feel tears welling in her eyes.

"Talon…"

"As much as I don't want to admit it," he breathed, "I… I care for you."

A tear managed to find its way down Quinn's cheek as she stared at him in awe. This had to be a dream. Never would he say those words she'd wanted to hear, the words she'd wanted to say.

"I thought you didn't do feelings," she whispered teasingly.

Talon scowled in annoyance.

"I'm honest and you make fun of me? How cruel."

Quinn gasped at his remark but he merely smirked, the familiar grin that made her heart stumble. She leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder, inhaling his comforting scent that she'd grown so used to.

"Is it safe to assume that you feel the same?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she replied with a kiss to his shoulder "I care for you, too, Talon. More than any Demacian should care for a Noxian."

"I've told you before, allegiances mean nothing to me. Can't we just be a man and a woman?"

"Wouldn't that be nice."

He chuckled bitterly, knowing she was right. They both had their loyalties, and while he considered himself loyal to Marcus alone, there was still a tie to Noxus that he could not break as much as he wanted to. Not until he had solved what had happened to the general. And of course, she was loyal to Demacia and he, nor anyone else would be able to change that.

"You'll have to be patient with me," he said, "I'm new to this whole 'feeling' thing."

Quinn laughed, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into the scarf still wrapped around his neck.

"I only have so much patience," she teased.

Talon snorted in amusement as he reached up to run his fingers through her hair. His eyes wandered down and noticed the rather luxurious robe she was wearing.

"You seem pretty comfortable," he remarked.

"Would you believe that I'm still kind of cold?" she asked sheepishly.

While the robe and the blankets and the soup had done wonders for her, there was still a slight bit of cold that clung to her bones, something she assumed would only go away with time.

Talon raised a brow and began to pull the blankets back. She was about to ask what he was doing when he climbed in the bed beside her, pulling the sheets over them both. Warmth rushed to her cheeks as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her as close as possible.

"One of the best ways to stay warm is to share body heat," he said simply.

Sure, his intentions seemed innocent enough, but Quinn couldn't stop her heart from racing when he squeezed her, intertwining her legs with his absentmindedly while he adjusted. She wasn't sure why she was so embarrassed all of a sudden, they'd already had sex several times. But something about this was different, the innocence of it making her heart flutter nervously.

"Better?" he asked.

Quinn could only nod in response, too flustered to actually speak. His arms were strong and secure, and she began to relax as a sense of safety washed over her. Despite the fact that she'd been asleep for two days, she felt so at ease that she couldn't help but begin to drift off.

She didn't hear the door open, only the thunderous boom of a voice echoing through the room.

"We're back!"

Talon shot up first, producing a blade from behind his back and brandishing it at the sudden intruders. Quinn, who was still half-asleep, groaned at the disturbance and clung tightly to Talon, burying her face against him and hoping the noise would go away.

There was a moment of silence before Talon scoffed, lowering his weapon.

"Most people knock," he hissed.

"So sorry! But I ran into the Queen and informed her of your arrival and she insisted that she come see you at once."

Quinn snapped back into reality, sitting up straight and feeling her stomach drop at what she saw.

It was Braum, of course, but he wasn't alone. A woman with silver hair stood beside him, her icy eyes widening upon seeing the girl in bed with such a man.

"Quinn?" she asked.

"Ashe!" Quinn squeaked, "Your Highness!"

The Demacian wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and hide for the rest of her life. She'd met Queen Ashe on her last trip to the Freljord and the two had gotten along quite well, the woman fascinated by Valor and the bond between the two. Now she was in bed with a Noxian and the shock on Ashe's face was apparent.

"It's not what it looks like!" she said quickly, "He was keeping me warm! That's all!"

Talon chuckled under his breath, only causing Ashe to grow more suspicious and for Quinn's face to laze red. Thankfully, he removed himself from the bed and Quinn couldn't help but notice the relief wash over Ashe's face when she realized that he was fully clothed.

"I see," Ashe said, "Braum told me he found the two of you under unusual circumstances."

"We were ambushed," Talon answered, "An archer shot the ice and Quinn fell in. I went after her."

Ashe's eyes wandered to Talon, who was leaning nonchalantly against the fireplace.

"You seem quite familiar with my Demacian friend," she remarked, "Who exactly are you?"

Quinn panicked for a moment. There was no way Ashe could know about Talon. If she found out she'd surely report to Jarvan and that would only mean one thing. Quinn could already feel the noose around her neck.

"Marcus," Talon answered with a grin, "I'm a Noxian informant for Quinn."

Ashe raised a brow suspiciously.

"Marcus? As in Marcus Du Couteau?"

Talon's smile turned wicked.

"If only."

Quinn was grateful for his quick thinking but wished that he would shut up.

"I see," Ashe said, "What brings you to the Freljord?"

That was right, Quinn was here on a mission.

"I'm here to inform you that Demacia offers aid to the Avarosa during your increasing conflict with the Winter's Claw," the scout said matter-of-factly.

Talon raised a brow. He'd been wondering what the hell she'd been doing out here in the first place.

Ashe's face fell as she looked at Braum, who also frowned at Quinn's words.

"Your assistance is appreciated," Ashe said carefully, "Though I fear I must decline."

Both Quinn and Talon looked at her shocked. To deny help from the Demacian army was borderline insanity, as they were known to be the best military in all of Runeterra. Ashe strode across the room to sit on the bed beside Quinn, taking her hands.

"Truly, I thank you and you can send my regards to your prince," she explained, "But I fear that creating an alliance will only push us closer to war. The Winter's Claw will see it as a threat and become even more violent. For now, I believe it is best that this conflict remains in the Freljord."

Quinn nodded understandingly. She knew how wise Ashe was, it was one of the things that made her such a great leader. Even though she didn't completely agree, she knew that she could trust Ashe's decisions to be good ones and trying to argue with her would be hopeless.

"If things do turn violent," Ashe continued, "I do hope the offer still stands."

"Absolutely," Quinn assured.

Ashe smiled warmly, squeezing Quinn's hands gently. She did truly appreciate the Demacian's offer, but she didn't want to drag another nation into her own's never-ending conflict. She would continue to follow her path of peace as far as it could lead her.

"Considering what you've gone through," Ashe added, "You are more than welcome to stay here for a few days to recover. Braum will escort you to ensure that no more… incidents occur."

"That won't be necessary –" Talon started.

"I insist," Ashe said sharply as she turned her gaze to him, "Forgive me for not trusting her to be alone with a Noxian such as yourself."

Talon's eyes narrowed dangerously, his hand hovering over his belt, daring Ashe to push him further so he could draw a weapon. The archer noticed this and turned back to Quinn, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"I worry for your safety."

"I apologize for his behavior," Quinn said, shooting a glare Talon's way, "He's a bit of an ass."

Talon scoffed and rolled his eyes, mumbling to himself as he folded his arms across his chest. Ashe smirked to herself, amused at the Noxian's frustration.

"As I said before, please take your time to rest. Tryndamere has gone with some men to the area where Braum found you to track your attacker."

Valor, who had perched himself on the windowsill, cawed at the mention of the attacker, ruffling his feathers defensively. The scout had no problem understanding exactly what he meant.

"Val says he gouged his eyes out," Quinn explained, "So if he's still alive, I can't imagine he's gotten very far."

"I'll gut him myself if he is still alive," Talon mumbled.

Quinn appreciated his unusual expression of concern, but didn't reply. She was worried about this attacker that had nearly killed her. It was common for there to be bandits throughout the Freljord, but what if it was something more? What that something more was, she wasn't sure, but the worry gnawed at her.

"I'll leave you to relax," Ashe said, standing up to make her way to the door, "Please let me know when you feel well enough to return to Demacia. I'll make sure Braum is ready."

"Yes ma'am!" Braum bellowed.

Ashe sent Quinn one more friendly smile, though her face turned sour when she looked at Talon. With a quick farewell she left the cabin, leaving the other three in uncomfortable silence.

"Miss Quinn," Braum declared, "Is there anything Braum can do for you?"

"I'm alright, thank you," she assured.

"Shall I leave so you may return to your activities with Sir Marcus?"

Quinn could hear Talon snort as he held in a laugh, quickly falling back into a mess as she opened her mouth to explain herself yet again.

"That's not –"

"Yes, thank you," Talon cut her off, still trying to hold in his laughter, "You're as considerate as you are observant."

Braum beamed at the backhanded compliment while Quinn just hid her face in her hands, unable to hide her embarrassment.

"Then I shall go! Remember: Braum is here for you."

With that, he crossed his arm over his chest, placing his fist against it in a salute before leaving the cabin.

Talon immediately burst into a fit of laughter, stumbling over to the bed and collapsing on it, his head landing in Quinn's lap.

"Shut up!" she begged, "It wasn't that funny!"

"The look on your face!"

She wasn't used to him laughing like this, she'd always found his sense of humor rather dry. But here he was, cackling like a child over a misunderstanding.

"You're the worst," she groaned, "Now he's going to think I'm a… a –"

"Dirty Noxian fucker?"

When her face got even redder he just laughed harder, placing his hands on his stomach that was beginning to ache.

"You're the worst!" she groaned.

Quinn reached for one of the pillows beside her and swiftly smacked Talon with it to shut him up. After a few hits, his cackling calmed down to a soft chuckle, a stupid grin still plastered on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so much. It was kind of nice.

She relented in her attacks, placing the pillow on his chest as she tried to not notice the way his brows pulled together or his nostrils flared when he laughed. It definitely wasn't adorable, she told herself. Now that his laughing fit had ended, Talon was able to look up at Quinn's face, still tinted red.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," he said absentmindedly.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected compliment, more blood rushing to her cheeks as she turned away bashfully. He brought his hand up to her face, turning it back to look down at him. Those eyes of hers were so bright, so warm.

"You know," he sighed, "Now that we're alone, we can get back to those activities Braum mentioned…"

"Talon, I swear –"

"I'm kidding, relax."

Quinn rolled her eyes and swatted at his hand playfully. While she wasn't exactly against the idea, they were guests in someone else's home and she'd probably die of shame if Braum or Ashe returned while they were making love.

"You should get your rest."

Surprised by his rational decision, Quinn eyed him as he stood up. He merely smirked and pressed her down against the bed, pulling the blankets over her.

"It's a long way back to Noxus," he said, "You'll need your energy."

Her brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Noxus?" she asked.

His grin turned sly as he leant closer to whisper in her ear, her body trembling when his lips brushed against her skin.

"You think I'm just gonna let you go back to Demacia after this? Oh no, I saved your life, remember? You owe me."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I have no self control, guys. I'm pumping these chapters out like a machine and I'm just waiting for that writer's block to smack me in the face. So until that happens, I'm going to update as much as I can. Also, thank you so much for the reviews! I'm kind of a slut for reviews, so after the great response the last chapter got I decided to treat you with this chapter early. Hope you like it! The next chapter's gonna be the longest one yet, so prepare yourselves. Until next time~_


	12. Chapter 12

After a few days of recuperation, Quinn felt well enough to leave the Freljord. Despite Talon's argument against it, Braum joined them, as well as a few others to ensure no ambush occurred again. Tryndamere had confirmed that the attacker from before seemed to be a typical bandit, nothing unusual that drew suspicion. Quinn was wary, but she took his word for it.

The journey back was, to her relief, uneventful. There were no encounters with bandits and the weather had even lightened up, the wind not as ferocious as it was before. Upon reaching the border, Braum gave his farewell, which included a suffocating bear hug for Quinn, though he refrained when he saw Talon's icy glare. He wished them well and left to make the trek back, his comrades not far behind.

True to his word, Talon brought her back to Noxus. She was nervous, as she was in her usual Demacian garb, only the heavy cloak offering some form of disguise. He assured her not to worry, that he was taking her somewhere she hadn't been before and a disguise wouldn't be necessary. She had no idea what that entailed, but she couldn't help but worry.

He took her deep into Noxus, deeper than she had ever been before. The streets were dark and dirty, children in ragged clothes playfighting in the mud as their parents sat on steps of rotting buildings, occasionally holding out a cup when Quinn and Talon walked by. There were mostly thugs, scary looking men that eyed Quinn like a piece of meat.

Talon didn't pay them any mind, walking briskly in front of the Demacian as she quickened her pace to keep up. She'd dealt with such thugs before, but here they were everywhere, watching through the windows of each store they passed.

One was bolder than the rest, stepping away from the wall he'd been leaning against upon seeing the young woman. He moved towards her and Quinn felt her heartbeat quicken, unsure of how to react. There were other hungry eyes on her as well and if she tried to fight back she knew she would be quickly outnumbered.

Ahead of her, Talon sensed her uneasiness and glanced behind him, noticing the man starting to trail them. Without a word, he slid his arm out from beneath his cloak, revealing the notorious blade that rested there. The man's face visibly paled and he stumbled to a stop, much to Quinn's relief.

"The Blade's Shadow!"

The streets buzzed with whispers as all eyes turned to Talon, who had merely brought his arm back beneath his cloak and continued walking. Quinn was surprised to see how well his reputation preceded him and realized just how dangerous he was. Yet she continued to follow him, trusting him in this strange place.

She wasn't sure how long they walked, but eventually they escaped the dirty streets, arriving in a more open area. The houses here were larger, less cramped. Quinn assumed this area was home to some of Noxus' elite, as there were no thugs or beggars around these parts, just an occasional citizen taking a stroll. It was odd to see; she'd always assumed Noxians were savage and violent people, but this place seemed fairly normal from what she could tell.

He took her down a lone path, one that took them away from the town they'd been in. There were no homes or shops down this road, and the silence was becoming unbearable.

"Talon…"

He grunted in response, not as disturbed by the silence as she was.

"Where are we going?"

It was so horribly quiet, Quinn began to panic. Perhaps he was taking her far away to finally kill her, where no one would hear her screams. She'd been foolish to trust him so blindly and now she had walked right into his trap. If she ran now, maybe she'd be able to get away.

"We're here."

Unaware that he'd stopped, Quinn nearly ran into Talon's back, too distracted by her plans of escaping to notice where they'd arrived. She composed herself and looked ahead, jaw dropping at what she saw.

It was an enormous manor, gothic in architecture and terrifyingly sinister in its appearance. Quinn felt like she'd seen it before in one of the storybooks her mother had read, a castle that housed a hideous beast.

"Talon?"

Her voice was barely a squeak.

"Where are we?"

"Closest thing I have to a home," he mumbled.

Quinn's eyes widened in realization. This was the house of Du Couteau. She'd honestly forgotten about the noble lineage that was tied to the Du Couteau name. It was hard to imagine Talon living in such a place.

"Come on," he said, "Gotta go in through the back."

"Wait, why? Isn't this your house?"

Talon chuckled as he took her by the wrist, pulling her towards the back of the house.

"No need to announce ourselves," he explained, "Don't need Kat or Cass seeing us. I'd rather keep you as my little secret."

Quinn blushed, earning another laugh from Talon.

The back of the mansion was covered in ivy, crawling up against the black stone in a haphazard pattern. There were a few windows and Quinn noticed that one at the top was cracked open slightly. She had a feeling that was their destination, but she had no idea how they were supposed to get up there.

As she started to ask Talon what the plan was, he leapt onto the wall with ease, grabbing the ivy as if it was a ladder. Quinn watched shocked as he began to scale the wall like it was nothing, amazed at how easy he made it seem. He'd gotten halfway up when he glanced down at her, realizing that she was just staring up at him with an open mouth.

"You coming?" he laughed.

"What? Are you insane?"

Talon let go with one hand, leaning out and waving his arm in a dramatic gesture. Alright, so he was insane.

"Come on, birdie," he called, "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights."

"I'm not!"

With a deep breath, she stepped towards the wall, grabbing some of the ivy in her hands. It was sturdier than expected, but it still seemed unsafe. She really wasn't afraid of heights, but the thought of falling to her death was enough to make her nervous. The crunching of leaves above her snapped her out of her thoughts and she realized she didn't have much of a choice.

It took a moment for her to find her courage, but the next thing she knew she was climbing up the vines. This was insane, she told herself. She was practically breaking into the home of a Noxian noble, one misstep turning her into a puddle on the ground.

"Don't look down, down look down…"

She glanced up and saw that Talon had reached the top and was climbing through the window she'd noticed earlier. The idea of an end point brought some relief, and she pushed herself to move faster. Alright, she was almost there. In just a minute she'd be able to put her feet on the ground and she wouldn't be hanging several stories up in the air.

A sigh of relief escaped her as she found the windowsill, pulling herself up to see Talon grinning at her, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Some help would be nice," she huffed.

Talon rolled his eyes and reached out to grab her waist, hoisting her through the window carefully. He opened his mouth to make a snide remark when the sound of a door opening caused his eyes to widen in panic. In the blink of an eye he whipped around, standing up straighter and puffing his chest in an attempt to make himself bigger and hide Quinn behind him. To be fair, it worked pretty well considering how much shorter she was than him and his cloak made a decent curtain.

"Has everyone forgotten what knocking is?" he hissed.

"You're late. Forgive me for wanting to make sure that you're alright."

The voice was distinctly female and Quinn found herself recognizing it from somewhere.

"I'm fine," Talon said curtly, "Leave so I can rest."

"What's the matter? Not happy to see your sister?"

Katarina. That's why she recognized the voice.

"Elated," Talon said sarcastically, "But I'd rather sleep."

There was a pause for a moment and Quinn found herself holding her breath.

"What are you hiding?" Katarina asked in a playful tone.

Talon's body stiffened and Quinn bit her lip, wondering if her pounding heartbeat was giving her away.

"Nothing," Talon snapped, "Leave."

"Talon, please. I'm not a fool."

He sighed heavily, admitting defeat. Trying to argue with Kat was pointless as she always seemed to get what she wanted in the end. It was one of her more annoying traits. He relaxed his posture and mumbled something to himself before addressing Quinn.

"Alright, birdie. Show yourself."

She didn't exactly want to show herself, but it seemed that their stealthy entrance was all for nothing. Nervously, she leaned to the side, poking her head out from behind Talon's shoulder.

Katarina stood there, arms folded across her chest, clad in her usual sultry attire. Her eyes widened upon seeing Quinn and in a flash, she was in front of her, inspecting her face closely.

"I know you!" she declared, "You're that little Demacian from the forest!"

Her face quickly turned sour as she shifted her gaze to Talon, narrowing her eyes in anger.

"When I said take care of her, I didn't mean make her your pet," she hissed, "You told me you couldn't find any intel that day either! You son of a bitch!"

Quinn watched as Katarina swung her fist at Talon's face, unable to stop herself from crying out to warn him. He caught her hand with ease, rolling his eyes when she sneered at him.

"It's complicated," he said.

"Complicated? You're fucking this little Demacian aren't you?"

"Oh, don't give me that shit. It's not like I'm the only one sleeping with the enemy."

Katarina's face turned a red that rivaled her hair, Quinn blushing when Talon spoke of their relationship so casually. The redhead's gaze turned to Quinn, emerald eyes blazing with fury.

"How'd he manage to sink his claws into you?" she asked, "Or are all Demacian women such whores?"

"Enough, Kat!" Talon roared, his voice echoing off the walls.

Katarina scoffed and stepped back, glaring daggers at her brother.

"I expect your report in the morning," she hissed, "And I want her out of here immediately. The last thing we need is people seeing a Demacian this deep inside Noxus."

"I'll take her back tomorrow," Talon replied, "Now leave."

The woman glanced at Quinn again, eyeing her up and down before heading to the door.

"Remember where your loyalties lie, brother," she called as she opened the door.

"I have no loyalties, sister," he spat.

She threw one more deadly glare his way before making her exit, slamming the door behind her.

Talon heaved a sigh, dragging his hand over his face as he walked over to the bed in the corner of the room, the mattress groaning beneath him as he sat down. Quinn remained still, slightly paralyzed after that terrifying encounter.

"Sorry about her."

The scout glanced at Talon, who had fallen back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling absentmindedly.

"It's ok," she said, voice shaking slightly, "She seems… nice?"

Talon snorted in amusement.

"That's not a word people usually use to describe Kat."

Quinn didn't doubt that, but she didn't want to outright insult his sister either. She glanced around the room, suddenly aware of just how dimly lit it was, only a few candles here and there. Aside from the bed, there was little furniture, just a dresser and a desk that was littered with papers. Blades were driven into every wall, as if he'd been going through some kind of bizarre target practice.

"Your room?" she asked as she moved towards the desk.

"What gave it away?"

"The knives stabbed into the walls were a good starting point."

He chuckled softly as he began to remove the blade from his arm, letting it fall to the floor with a loud clank.

Quinn jumped at the sudden sound but quickly collected herself, glancing at his desk curiously. The papers came from all over Valoran and most of them seemed to be reports. It was impossible to read them all, but she was able to spot a familiar name on almost each one: Marcus Du Couteau.

"It's not polite to snoop through other people's things, birdie."

His voice was against her ear and she couldn't stop herself from crying out as she whirled around to see him standing right in front of her, an amused grin playing at his lips.

"I'm sorry!" she gasped.

He simply shrugged, placing his hand on top of her head to ruffle her hair.

"I thought you'd have better manners, being a Demacian and all," he teased.

Her face turned red with shame as she looked down at her feet to avoid his gaze.

"Relax, there's nothing there of importance to you anyway," he continued, "If you're looking for intel for your prince, you're not gonna find it there."

"Is it about the general?"

She looked up to see that his face had turned grim, eyes dark as he looked at the mess of papers before him.

"Yes," he mumbled, "I've followed every lead I've received, but… there's been nothing."

Quinn reached up to take his face in her hands, her heart fluttering when she saw how quickly his expression softened against her touch.

"I'm sure you'll find him," she assured.

Talon sighed and closed his eyes, his brows furrowing in concentration.

"I know that bastard Swain has something to do with it," he hissed, "But I haven't been able to find enough evidence to pin it on him. That and half of Noxus thinks he's the fucking king."

Quinn didn't know a lot about Noxian politics, but she did know that after General Du Couteau's disappearance, Jericho Swain had taken control of the nation's forces. There were rumors that he sought to revive the Black Rose and conquer as much of Valoran as possible, but she'd been told they were just rumors. If Talon was right, then perhaps not all of Noxus shared this vision and she briefly wondered if the kingdom would break into a civil war.

"There are some who don't agree with him, like Kat and myself. Swain knows this and he's tried to secretly get rid of us several times.

"Why secretly?" Quinn asked, "If he's this tyrant, shouldn't he be able to do what he wants?"

Talon scoffed in disgust.

"He's not a king, despite what he thinks. There's a large portion of Noxus that supported Du Couteau and are suspicious of his disappearance taking place at the same time as Swain's rise to power. If Swain were to declare war on us, there would be an uprising unlike anything Noxus has seen before."

Quinn shuddered at the thought of a civil war erupting, in Noxus of all places. She had no idea about all the inner turmoil taking place and wondered if Jarvan was aware of it as well.

Talon noticed her discomfort and took to removing her heavy cloak for her.

"Enough talk of politics," he said, "I do believe that you owe me a favor since I saved your life."

Quinn scowled at him as the cloak thudded to the floor, leaving her exposed in her usual Demacian uniform.

"Do all Demacians wear such pretentious attire on the battlefield?" he taunted.

"Says the man who wears a cape made out of blades," she shot back.

He narrowed his eyes and quickly reached out to grab her by the waist, lifting her in the air as she laughed, her eyes sparkling in a way that stirred something unfamiliar in his gut. Unsure how to feel about this new emotion, he set Quinn back down on her feet, his hands still resting on her hips. She still had that blissful look on her face and Talon could feel the knot in his stomach growing.

"So," Quinn sighed, "What exactly do I owe you?"

Talon hesitated, biting his lip as he hastily looked away from her. Something terrible had come over him and he wanted to be rid of it as quickly as possible.

"We should rest," he breathed.

Quinn was shocked as he released her, making his way over to the bed to begin stripping without another word. This was unlike him; his sex drive was far greater than hers and he never missed an opportunity to take advantage of that. Now he seemed distant, almost afraid.

"Is everything alright?" she asked weakly.

He'd already rid himself of the scarf and shirt, working on his belt when she called out to him. Dammit, he thought. The last thing he'd wanted was to make her worry about him, especially when there was nothing to worry about.

"Yes," he sighed.

Unconvinced, Quinn cautiously made her way to his side, trying desperately to ignore the fact that he'd stripped down to only his underwear as she wrapped her arms around from behind him, laying her cheek against his back. She could feel him inhale sharply and tense up, but she just took a deep breath and sighed.

"You can tell me, Talon," she whispered, "Believe it or not, it's not good to bottle your feelings up."

He chuckled under his breath as she squeezed his waist gently. Her skin was so soft against his, untouched and pure, not littered with ugly scars like his. While he knew she meant well, he wasn't sure what was wrong himself and didn't expect her to understand something he couldn't.

"I'm alright, birdie," he assured, "I've just… realized how tired I am."

Quinn hummed softly and he could feel the vibration against his back, that damn knot twisting itself tighter with him. She could tell he was lying, that something truly was bothering him, but she didn't want to push it. To be honest, she was rather tired herself and she didn't see any harm in waiting until morning to ask him again.

"Then… we should get some rest."

Talon was grateful for her understanding. He hoped that sleep would dispel the fever that had overcome him and the sooner he was rid of this feeling the better.

Quinn released him and began to undress herself, the faintest dust of pink on her cheeks when she caught Talon looking away and she swore she could see some red on his face that she hadn't seen before. He retrieved one of his shirts for her to wear, claiming that it would offer her some warmth in the cold night, but she suspected that perhaps he had an ulterior motive for covering her up.

The bed was softer than she expected, a cloud beneath her as she attached herself to Talon's side, resting her head on his shoulder with a hum of contentment.

"Goodnight, Talon," she murmured.

There was silence, as he was unable to respond immediately, his tongue tied. Exhaustion took hold of her much quicker than expected and it didn't take long for her to slip into a deep slumber, nuzzling her face against Talon lovingly.

This damn fever better be gone in the morning, he thought. Being sick was always a nuisance and he didn't want to possibly pass the illness onto the scout that was nestled so comfortably against him. He sighed, forcing his eyes shut in hopes that it would make him fall asleep faster.

"Goodnight… Quinn."

* * *

 _The nightmares came to him almost every night, he'd grown used to them after all these years. They varied night to night, some recurring more than others._

 _This one was particularly awful, the scent of blood assaulting his nose as he observed the bodies strewn across the floor. Their faces were contorted in pain, though he didn't recognize them. He rarely paid attention to the faces of those he murdered, preferring to make things quick._

 _There was the scream he always heard, but something about it was off this time. The voice was higher than he remembered, more frightened. It sent his pulse racing and he took off to follow it quickly, stepping over the bodies with impressive swiftness. He knew how this would end, it always ended the same, but something was wrong. His legs were heavier, making it difficult to reach his destination._

 _"Talon!"_

 _The shriek put the hairs on the back of his neck on edge and he forced himself to move faster, stumbling as the bodies seemed to pile in front of him. Bright red hair on the floor caught his eye and he recognized it as Katarina, Cassiopeia lying a few feet away. They both had blades pierced through their hearts, blood still spilling from their chests._

 _It pained him to see them like that, but he pressed onwards, telling himself that it was just a dream. The blades had been his own and he knew, despite how annoying they could be, he'd never harm his sisters and this was all just a twisted illusion._

 _"Talon, help me!"_

 _This was always the worst part. He knew that no matter how hard he tried, he could never save them, but the person calling out to him wasn't the one he expected. He didn't understand how that was possible, his blood beginning to boil with rage._

 _In his haste, he tripped over one of the many bodies on the floor, cursing himself for his foolishness. He glanced back to see who it was, his eyes widening in horror. It was him. The general laid lifelessly on the cold ground, his throat slit and body mangled._

 _Confusion clouded Talon's mind. This wasn't right. He was supposed to be saving Marcus, he was the one who was supposed to be calling out to him. Yet there he was, one of dozens of corpses for him to forget, another target eliminated._

 _There was another scream, twisted in agony, pulling him away from the general's body and forcing him forward. If the general was dead, then what was the point of this nightmare? There was nothing left for him._

 _Eventually, he stumbled upon the source of the screaming, his breathing ragged after running for so long. Everything looked the same as the nightmares before and for a moment Talon didn't understand._

 _Swain stood there, a triumphant grin on his face as he held his hostage closely, a gleaming knife to their throat. This was usually the time when Marcus would tell him to run, to leave him and let Swain kill him so that his protégé could survive. But Marcus was dead, and this was most certainly not him. His heart sank as he realized the horror before him. Not her, he begged. Anyone but her._

 _"Talon!"_

 _The relief in Quinn's voice sent a pang of guilt through his heart as he knew how this dream would end._

 _"Let her go!"_

 _His voice was shaky, as it always was in this cursed nightmare, as if all the strength within him had been sucked out by Swain's black magic._

 _"Nice of you to join us, boy," Swain spat._

 _Talon knew he didn't have much time, he had to save her now before the dream went down its usual path. Instead of staying back as he usually did, he stepped forward, reaching out for Quinn desperately._

 _Her scream pierced the air as Talon watched Swain pierce the blade into her neck, blood trickling down her throat. He stopped, horrified at the sight before him, not expecting Swain to harm her._

 _"Didn't think I'd do it, hmm?" Swain asked._

 _Tears ran down Quinn's cheeks as she looked to Talon pleadingly, eyes wide and scared._

 _"Talon," she whimpered, "Help me, please."_

 _"Swain, release her!"_

 _The general merely sneered, bringing his face closer to hers. Talon saw her visibly flinch when his lips met her ear, the sudden movement causing the blade at her throat to pierce further into her skin, her lips parting as a pathetic wail escaped her throat._

 _"Ah, but your songbird has such a lovely voice," Swain remarked, "Just listen to her sing."_

 _Quinn's screams rang in Talon's ears as Swain pressed the blade harder against her skin, the blood flowing freely now, painting her neck red._

 _"Talon! Talon!" she cried helplessly._

 _"You son of a bitch!" Talon yelled._

 _He lunged forward to attack him, overcome with a rage that stopped any chance of rational thought. Swain just smirked, amused at his pathetic rescue attempt. With one, swift movement, he pulled the blade across Quinn's throat, her choked gasp music to his ears._

 _Time slowed down and all Talon could see was Quinn, the life draining from her eyes as the crimson liquid gushed from her throat._

 _"Talon…"_

"No!"

He shot up from the bed violently, the word still on his lips. He was panting for air, his body shaking and in a cold sweat as he looked around the room frantically.

"Talon, it's alright!"

The sound of her voice brought him back down to reality and before he could say anything she'd taken his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

Her eyes were wide with concern and her neck, her neck was just as he remembered it, pale and safe.

"You had a nightmare," she said softly, "You're okay, breathe."

She'd known of his nightmares for a while as he talked in his sleep when they got really bad, but they'd never been anything like this. His scream had woken her immediately and she felt helpless as she watched him thrash against the sheets. Now that he was awake, she quickly began to try and calm him down. She rubbed circles against his cheeks with her thumbs, pushing away some of the hair that clung to his face with sweat.

Talon panted as she shushed him gently, leaning into her hands that were so warm against his clammy skin. His hand shook as he reached up to touch her neck, sighing with relief at the feel of her smooth skin.

"You're alright?" he asked between breaths.

Quinn nodded, slightly confused as to why he was touching her neck, but not pulling away, knowing that he probably felt more secure by making sure she was truly there and the nightmare was over.

There was a sudden crash as the door to the room flung open, revealing Katarina, clad in her night clothes and brandishing her usual two blades.

"For fuck's sake, why can't anyone fucking knock?" Talon yelled.

Katarina observed the scene before her, dropping her stance upon realizing that no one seemed hurt.

"I heard you scream," she replied, "Had to make sure she wasn't trying to kill you in your sleep."

Talon scowled, unappreciative of his sister's concern.

"It was just a nightmare," he hissed, "Leave."

Katarina was surprised by his coldness. It had been a while since he'd had such a nightmare, but last time she'd heard his screams she'd come running to his side, staying with him until he insisted he'd be fine. Sure, they had stayed in silence, Kat never one to excel at consoling people, but she'd been there for him.

Quinn glanced at Katarina, still holding Talon's face in her hands. She could see the worry in the older girl's face, something she hadn't expected from the assassin.

"I'll take care of him," Quinn assured, "I promise."

Katarina didn't trust the Demacian, but when she saw Talon slouch over to rest his head on her shoulder, she knew that she didn't have a choice. The way the scout wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close made Kat want to gag, but she had to admit that the girl clearly cared about her stupid little brother.

"Alright," she said.

She felt like she should say more, but she'd never been good at dealing with these kind of emotions, and instead left them alone, closing the door quietly behind her.

Quinn ran her fingers up and down Talon's back soothingly, somewhat surprised at his willingness to be comforted. His breath slowly evened out in time with her strokes against his skin, the familiar floral scent of her skin relaxing him.

"Sorry about that," he muttered after a while, "Didn't mean to wake you."

"Are you alright, Talon?"

He pulled back to meet her gaze. Her eyes were filled with concern and the guilt swelled up inside him.

"I'm sorry to worry you."

"That's not what I asked. Are you alright?"

Talon didn't understand. She was putting him first, not seeming to care about herself. This was compassion, he thought. She really did care for him. That familiar knot in his stomach returned, but it wasn't as painful this time. It was more like a warm weight that kept him grounded.

He took her face in his hands and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, letting his eyes close in thought. For the first time in a long time, he felt safe.

"I am now," he murmured.

Maybe this feeling that had overcome him wasn't as bad as he thought.

* * *

 _Author's Note: And another one. Man, every chapter I write just gets longer and longer. The next one is over 6k words so buckle up for that one. Hope you enjoyed this one, I'm hoping that their relationship seems believable. Also sorry if I made Kat too bitchy, I promise she'll be nicer later. Thanks again for the reviews, keep them coming and I'll keep cranking this stuff out! We're also about to embark on the feels train so get ready for that, too. Until next time!_


	13. Chapter 13

Leaving Talon was difficult for her. She didn't want to, not after that nightmare he had to go through. He never told her what had actually happened in his dream, but she could tell that it bothered him deeply. She'd tried to persuade him a few times on their way out of Noxus, hoping he'd open up. But he refused, either changing the subject or not responding at all.

He'd escorted her to the Noxus border where they met Valor, who was more than a little annoyed about the whole situation. Quinn going into Noxus was bad enough, but taking her so far that he couldn't follow only frustrated the eagle more. He greeted Quinn excitedly, managing to shoot a quick glare at Talon before the scout noticed. The assassin rolled his eyes, keenly aware that there was probably nothing he could do to make that damn bird like him.

Quinn assured him that she'd return within the next few weeks, as she assumed Jarvan would return to sending her to Noxus after he heard about the Freljord incident. He didn't know if he'd be able to bear being alone that long, but he didn't dare tell her that. He'd been alone most of his life, a few weeks wouldn't kill him.

She kissed his cheek in farewell, smiling when she saw a light blush form on his cheeks. He tried to play it off, rolling his eyes and looking away, but she'd already seen it and couldn't help but giggle. After one more kiss, she departed for Demacia, Valor flying slightly ahead of her to ensure the path was clear.

Talon waited until her figure disappeared before turning around himself, dragging himself back to the hellhole he called home to wait for her return.

* * *

There were few things Quinn despised more than Demacia's lavish parties. She hated the feeling of being locked in a cage, Garen's constant criticism and the way no one in the Vanguard (aside from Lux) seemed to take her seriously. With one of Demacia's galas, all three of those were wrapped into one, awful present.

She'd be forced to talk to people she didn't know (or want to know), have to deal with Garen's constant watch on her and the fact that she didn't really have any friends to be with. Most of the time, she'd been able to talk her way out of going, insisting that a mission was far more important. But this time Lux had begged her, assuring her that the two of them would have fun together. She wasn't sure why she'd said yes to be honest, though she blamed it mostly on the puppy dog eyes that Lux gave her.

People from every corner of Runeterra were invited to these balls, though usually it was limited to a select few elite from the other kingdoms. Even a few Noxians were invited, though Grand General Swain was never on that list as he and Jarvan had a less than friendly relationship. It was mainly used as a way for Jarvan to discuss politic without actually calling for a political meeting, since those always seemed to end up leading to war.

Regardless, Quinn hated having to be surrounded by so many people. The only saving grace was that she could just hide off to the side or go out to the garden to avoid socializing or worse, dancing. Quinn was a terrible dancer, as she had grown up in the home of simple farmers, not aristocrats that were bred for etiquette like Lux. The thought of being asked to dance made her nauseous and she was grateful that she was plain looking in comparison to the other ladies of Demacia. At least she wouldn't have to worry about men falling over themselves to get to her like Lux and Sona.

"Quinn, stop moving, I'm gonna mess up," Lux scolded.

The scout was pulled out of her daydream by the blonde's playful voice, straightening her back to sit up properly. Lux had insisted the two get ready for the gala together, Quinn only accepting since Lux offered to do her hair and makeup, something she had no idea how to do herself.

"Sorry," Quinn sighed, "I'm not used to this."

"And that's why I'm here!" Lux laughed, "Just finishing your eyes and then we can move on to your hair. Any idea what you want to do with it?"

"Uh…"

Quinn reached up to take a strand of hair in her hands. She'd always kept it short, as it was easier to maintain and more suitable for being out on the field. The unusual dark shade of purple was also rather eye-catching, so the less of it there was then the less likely she'd be spotted. Was there anything that could even be done with short hair?

"We'll figure something out," Lux assured.

The blonde had already gotten ready, her golden hair curled into ringlets that framed her face perfectly. Her dress was short and white, the skirt reminding Quinn of a cupcake. She did look quite beautiful, and Quinn had to hold in a snicker at the thought of Garen fighting off all the men that would swarm her.

"So," Lux said as she began to work on Quinn's hair, "How are things with your boyfriend?"

Quinn inhaled sharply. She'd been hoping Lux wouldn't bring this topic up, but she supposed there was no way around it. She distinctly remembered Lux saying that she wanted to talk about boys with her, as most girls seemed to enjoy that topic for a reason Quinn couldn't understand.

"They're fine," she said quickly.

Lux furrowed her brows as she ran the comb through Quinn's hair. That was hardly what she'd wanted to hear.

"Is he coming here tonight?" she asked.

"No," Quinn chuckled, "He's not exactly nobility, so I doubt he received an invitation."

"That's too bad. I was really hoping to meet him."

"What about you? You said something about a boy, if I remember correctly."

Lux squeaked nervously, accidentally pulling too tightly on Quinn's hair.

"Sorry!" she apologized, "I just… Yes, he is going to be here and I'm _really_ nervous."

"About what?"

The blonde heaved a sigh, stepping back from Quinn, satisfied with what she'd done to her hair.

"What if I embarrass myself?" Lux asked, "Make myself look like an idiot. Or worse, what if I reveal my-"

She bit her tongue, mortified that she'd almost told her secret. Quinn looked back at her, head tilted in confusion.

"Reveal your what?"

"Nothing! Really, it's nothing! But, uh, you're done! All ready to go!"

It certainly didn't seem like nothing, but Quinn could tell that Lux had no intention of explaining herself.

With a sigh she stood up, turning to look at herself in the mirror. Her dress was long, almost too long, and a deep blue that reminded her of the Demacian flag. It was the only dress she owned, as she had never really gone to such events before joining the Dauntless Vanguard, so it would have to do for now. She prayed that she wouldn't trip over the fabric and draw attention to herself. Her hair had been styled in a more feminine manner than she was used to, the purple locks framing her face nicely. It felt like she was looking at a completely different person.

"You look great!" Lux gushed, "That color is really pretty on you."

Quinn found herself blushing at the compliment, not used to being called pretty in any sense of the word.

"Thanks," she muttered sheepishly.

"Well, we better get going. You know how Jarvan wants us to be there early so we can greet all the guests."

Unfortunately, Quinn was all too familiar with this. While she didn't have to stand there and individually greet every person, she and the rest of the Vanguard were expected to be there before the guests arrived so that they could start the conversations and dancing as quickly as possible.

"Ready?" Lux asked.

"As I'll ever be."

* * *

It was just as awful as Quinn had imagined. She'd been able to avoid dealing with the guests at first, taking to a table in the corner of the ballroom where she could hide. Lux came to join her several times, but she was quickly stolen by a new suitor, who would then be scared off by a nearby Garen when he caught his sister dancing. This lead to her sitting alone for a while, sipping on champagne and doing her best to avoid eye contact when possible.

She'd lost count of how many men had approached Lux, though she supposed she couldn't complain. The more men that went after Lux the less likely one would approach her.

Speaking of Lux, the blonde had returned to the table Quinn had made herself comfortable at, sighing heavily as she sat in the chair across from her.

"Garen scare another one away?" Quinn asked as she took a sip of her drink.

"Of course," Lux groaned, "This guy seemed nice, too. At least before Garen threatened to rearrange his face."

Quinn chuckled as the blonde rested her elbows on the table, holding her head in her hands and pouting.

"Have you seen your guy yet?" she asked, "You said he'd be here."

Lux blushed and hid her face in her hands to avoid Quinn's amused expression.

"That's the worst part!" she groaned, "I haven't! What if he's not even here?"

"I'm sure you'll find him," Quinn assured, "And if not, there are plenty of other guys here dying to speak to you."

Lux looked back up to reply, but froze, something behind Quinn catching her eyes. Most likely another suitor, Quinn thought. She began to take another sip of champagne when Lux leaned over, keeping her voice as low as possible.

"Don't look," she warned, "But a _super_ cute guy is coming over here right now."

Exactly as Quinn had expected. It didn't seem to be the boy Lux was looking for, but judging by the look on her face, Quinn could tell that the blonde was flustered just by this one's appearance.

"Want me to distract Garen for you?" Quinn joked.

"He's not my type," Lux whispered, "But he is definitely easy on the eyes."

Quinn rolled her eyes. She didn't think Lux really had a type, but perhaps she was too focused on the mystery man to give anyone else a chance. As she was about to lecture her on being open to more possibilities, someone cleared their throat beside her. Great, another arrogant asshole.

Reluctantly, Quinn turned to greet Lux's next suitor, only to nearly fall out of her chair.

"Terribly sorry to bother you ladies."

Talon looked like a completely different person. His hair was tied back and he wore a well-tailored suit, not a blade to be seen. This couldn't be the same man, there was no way. But that wolfish grin he shot her confirmed it and she used every ounce of self-control she had to keep herself from blurting out his name.

"Not a problem at all!" Lux assured, glancing at Quinn's shocked face.

She'd never seen the scout so flustered before. It was kind of endearing, she thought.

"I'm Luxanna Crownguard," she continued, "This is my friend, Quinn, a fellow member of the Dauntless Vanguard."

"A pleasure," Talon said smoothly, "You can call me Marcus."

Talon took Quinn's hand, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and pressed the back of it to his lips, a spark of electricity buzzing up her whole arm. If she didn't so something soon, Quinn felt like she was going to pass out.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, quirking a brow.

If her face wasn't red before, it certainly was now. She had no idea how Talon had even gotten here and now he was asking her to do the one thing she'd been trying to avoid all night. There were questions that needed to be answered, there wasn't time for dancing.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "But I d-don't –"

"She'd love to!" Lux interrupted.

The blonde could tell that her friend was enamored with the man and she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip through her fingers. Sure, Quinn had a boyfriend, but it was just a dance. Besides, judging by her reaction, maybe this was love at first sight. It was her job as Quinn's friend to make sure she didn't mess this up. That's what friends were for.

Quinn began to protest but Lux elbowed her, nodding her head towards the man.

"I'll wait here," she said, "Don't keep this nice man waiting."

Before she could try and argue further, Lux had nudged her out of her chair and into Talon's arms. The scout blushed furiously when she saw Talon's smug grin, looking back at Lux as he pulled her out to the dance floor. Lux seemed thrilled, her eyes bright as she mouthed words of encouragement to Quinn.

Once they arrived on the dance floor, Quinn felt like she was going to puke. This was all way too much. Talon wasn't supposed to be here, what if someone recognized him?

"Hey."

She looked up at the sound of his voice, which had lost the fake charm he'd been using when speaking with Lux. He was eyeing her, confused as to why she seemed so flustered.

"I thought you'd be happier to see me," he muttered, taking one of her hands and placing her other on his shoulder.

"I can't dance!" was all she managed to say.

He rolled his eyes as he placed his other hand on her waist pulling her closer. Quinn may not have been a good dancer, but even she knew this was probably too close for two supposed strangers to be.

"Just follow my lead," he whispered, "And don't step on my feet."

Almost immediately, she stumbled and stepped on his foot, causing him to stifle a groan of pain as she repositioned herself.

"I'm sorry!" she squeaked.

"You're drawing attention to us."

His tone was darker than before and, having avoided his gaze for so long, looked up at him, noticing that he eyes were scanning the dance floor carefully. Garen had noticed her little misstep and was now eyeing them, trying to decide if the man she was with was familiar or not. Quinn felt the captain's piercing gaze on the back of her head and almost tripped again, Talon managing to keep her upright this time.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, panic lacing her words.

"Isn't it obvious?" Talon scoffed, "I came to see you."

Quinn's heart fluttered, not expecting such a blunt response.

"Really?" she asked nervously.

"Of course. I hate these kinds of things, but I thought you might be here and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you in a dress."

The blood rushed back to her cheeks and she had to look away from him for a moment, feeling his chest rumble as he laughed softly at her embarrassment.

"Isn't this a little… dangerous? You're kind of a wanted assassin."

"People don't know what the Blade's Shadow looks like, aside from the blue cape and hood. No one's exactly seen my face and lived to tell the tale."

Quinn shuddered involuntarily when he squeezed her waist, reminding her how dangerous he was and that she should consider herself lucky to be alive.

"Then how'd you get in?"

"The Du Couteau received an invitation. Of course, I'm not here as Talon. I'm just Kat's date for the evening."

He tilted his head to the side and Quinn looked that direction, seeing Kat's familiar blazing red hair. She'd caught the attention of many men in her slinky black dress, though Quinn was able to notice a very territorial Garen keeping watch.

"You left your date to the wolves," Quinn remarked.

"Kat can handle herself, trust me," he assured.

They had fallen into an even rhythm with the music and Quinn couldn't help but be impressed with his dancing abilities.

"I never imagined you to be a dancer," she teased.

"Cass made me learn," he admitted, "Said it would make me more of a gentleman. Look how that turned out."

Quinn laughed, truly laughed and the sound was enough to make Talon's stomach flip, though he was a master at hiding his feelings, just smiling fondly at her without making a fool of himself. A few beats of the music passed as they danced in silence, Quinn concentrating on not stepping on his feet and Talon simply admiring her face.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he said.

The compliment caught her off guard and she went weak in the knees, but Talon's grip was firm and he was able to prevent her fall. That was the first time anyone had ever called her beautiful. Her heart was pounding violently against her ribcage as she regained her footing, looking down at her feet to hide her shame.

"You clean up pretty nicely yourself," she managed to reply.

Talon laughed as the song slowly came to an end, Quinn surprised to find herself wishing that it would never end. He released her, to her disappointment, and bowed, to which she replied with an awkward curtsy.

"I need to speak with Kat," he said, "But I expect another dance."

Quinn nodded sheepishly as he took her by the hand, kissing it again, letting his lips linger there far longer than he should've.

"Be right back, birdie," he murmured.

With that, he turned to go find Katarina, leaving Quinn stunned in silence on the dance floor.

This had to be a dream. There was no way this was actually happening. She couldn't get her hopes up like this.

After a moment, she managed to drift back to her table where Lux was waiting for her, a pleased grin on her face as she watched her friend sink into the chair beside her.

"So when's the wedding?" Lux teased.

"What?" Quinn asked, finally snapping out of her daze.

"Don't play dumb," Lux continued, "If that wasn't love at first sight, then I don't know what is."

"Lux!"

As it had so many times this night, the blush returned to Quinn's face, causing Lux to burst into a fit of giggles.

Love? That was ridiculous, she wasn't in love with Talon. Was she?

"I saw the way you guys looked at each other," Lux gushed, "It was so romantic! I thought for sure that you'd kiss."

Quinn's face was on fire and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She knew that she cared for Talon, more than she probably wanted to admit to herself, but she wasn't in love with him. That was absurd. She needed to change this conversation and fast, lest she dwell further on her feelings for the Noxian. Luckily, fate finally let her catch a break for this night.

"Lux!"

The girls turned to look at the source of the new voice, finding a young man who appeared to be about Lux's age. While he wore typical formal attire in the form of white jacket and black slacks, Quinn found herself staring at the unusual gauntlet on his left arm, wondering what it could possibly be for.

"Ez!"

Now it was Lux's turn to be embarrassed. Her voice had shot up a few octaves and her face mirrored Quinn's moments before. The scout assumed that this was the boy Lux had been going on about and was more than happy for the tables to have turned.

"Who's your friend, Lux?" she teased.

The girl seemed too embarrassed to speak, so the newcomer took the liberty of introducing himself.

"Name's Ezreal," he said, "I'm an explorer from Piltover. You've probably heard of me."

"Afraid not," Quinn admitted.

He deflated a little, but only for a moment, quickly perking back up and directing his attention to Lux.

"I've been trying to find you all night," he explained, "I was hoping you might like to dance."

"She'd love to," Quinn answered.

The scout thought she was clever, using the same line Lux had used earlier, but the blonde girl didn't give her much of a reaction.

"Of course," she said, "It would be my pleasure."

She took Ezreal's outstretched hand, shooting a grin at Quinn as he led her to the dance floor. Quinn gave her a thumbs-up before returning back to the champagne she'd been neglecting. It was cute seeing Lux so stricken with him like a love-sick puppy. But then again, she'd acted the same way not too long ago when Talon had arrived.

She took a large gulp of the champagne, trying to calm her nerves. There was no way she was in love with Talon, it was impossible. Though the more she thought about it, the more she saw his face, the smile that was for her and her alone and his eyes she found herself getting lost in.

A tap on the shoulder yanked her from her pleasant thoughts and she jerked around, surprised to see Jarvan IV standing there.

"Your Highness!" she gasped, quickly standing up to bow.

"That's not necessary, Quinn," he assured, "I just wanted to see how you're doing. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Despite the fact that he was royalty, Jarvan truly was thoughtful and showed a deep appreciation for the members of the Vanguard, particularly Quinn. He had believed in her when others had not, and she had more than proven herself since joining the ranks. She admired him greatly and had always been grateful for his confidence in her.

"Yes," she replied, "The night has been wonderful."

"Excellent!"

He hesitated a moment, unsure of what to say to her. Their mutual respect ran deep for one another, and he didn't want to overstep his boundaries.

"I've managed to sneak away from all the political talk," he said, "And I thought it might be nice to take a break and dance. Would you do me the honor?"

That was the last thing she'd expected to hear.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"You don't have to. I'd just prefer to dance with someone I know rather than some strange aristocrat."

Quinn gulped nervously. She couldn't refuse the prince, that was unheard of. But Talon said he would come back for another dance, something she'd been anticipating since they'd parted ways. There wasn't really much of a choice for her though.

"I'd love to," she said.

Jarvan beamed and extended his hand, returning her out to the dance floor yet again. He was much more proper in his form than Talon, keeping a comfortable distance between their bodies as he began to lead her in time to the music.

It was different than when she had danced with Talon. Jarvan was broader than Talon, intimidating in his size and stature. His hold on her was firmer, but there was no tenderness to his touch. Quinn tried to ignore it, but her mind wandered back to Talon as it so often did. She wound up stumbling a few times again, though Jarvan just laughed it off and assured her it wasn't a big deal, continuing their dance without any alterations.

This was wrong, she thought. Something wasn't right. She looked to Jarvan's face, but it was clouded with visions of Talon and she imagined his arms around her waist and his lips against her neck.

 _I love him_.

The thought had crossed her mind before she could stop herself and the realization made her knees buckle, Jarvan quick to catch her.

"Quinn, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Yes," she lied.

She was not alright. She was hopelessly in love with a Noxian assassin and all she could think of was him as the Prince of Demacia held onto her, blissfully unaware of her crime.

As she steadied herself, the song came to an end, much to Quinn's relief. She had to get out of there, she couldn't stay any longer, fearing that she'd confess her love right there for everyone to hear. For Talon to hear.

"May I cut in?"

Her heart soared at the sight of Talon, who had tapped Jarvan's shoulder somewhat impatiently. His expression seemed friendly enough, but there was a darkness in his eyes that made Jarvan suspicious.

"Quinn, do you know this man?" he asked.

Still trying to suppress her feelings, Quinn could only nod, offering her hand to Talon so that he could whisk her away and she could get lost in his eyes all over again.

"Are you well enough to dance?" Jarvan interjected, "You seem rather faint."

"I'm alright," Quinn managed to answer.

Talon took her hand and began to pull her towards him, his free hand quick to rest against the small of her back.

"Quinn –"

"I believe that the lady has made her decision clear," Talon hissed.

To Quinn's horror, Talon yanked her even closer, far too close for anyone who wasn't a lover. Jarvan's eyes blazed with rage, disgusted by this man's cocky attitude. His hand hovered over his sword, something he always kept on hand regardless of the occasion.

"No!" Quinn gasped, "It's ok, Jarvan."

Jarvan reluctantly dropped his hand, a wicked smirk playing at Talon's lips. The prince wanted nothing more than to punch that smug grin off the man's face, but Quinn had made it clear that violence wasn't necessary. He bowed to her in farewell, feeling the bile raise in his throat when the man's grin grew wider. The bastard even had the audacity to wink at him before leading Quinn away.

"Noxian," he growled.

Once they'd put some distance between them and Jarvan, Quinn leaned over to whisper in Talon's ear.

"You're actually insane! He could've killed you if he wanted to!"

Talon scoffed unimpressed as he led her towards the door that led outside to the gardens. Some people had come out here for fresh air, and the music could still be heard so others were dancing beneath the stars, though it was mostly older married couples.

Once outside, he took her tightly in his arms, not allowing any space between them. There were a few couples dancing in this way, held so close. It seemed far too intimate, but Talon showed no signs of releasing her, and so she warily reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. His body was tense despite their intimacy and Quinn noticed that the darkness from before had not left his eyes, reminding her of his rude behavior.

"I can't believe you acted like that in front of the prince," she huffed.

Talon scoffed again, turning his head to the side.

"He's not my prince," he spat.

Quinn scowled.

"It doesn't matter, he still could have killed you right there! Why were you such an ass to him?"

His head snapped back to face her, the cloudiness in his eyes replaced with a burning frustration.

"I told you I was coming back to you," he growled, "If you wanted to dance again so badly you could've just asked."

The realization dawned upon Quinn and she finally understood. No wonder he'd been so irritable. She brought a hand from his neck to his cheek, cradling it gently.

"Talon… were you _jealous?"_

The Noxian scoffed, jerking his head away from her hand. Quinn caught him biting his lip and knew that she'd hit the nail on the head. He was jealous. It was sweet, she thought. It certainly proved that he did care about her, that was for sure.

"Talon…"

She took his face in both her hands, forcing him to look at her. His brows were knit closely and his eyes fell downward, avoiding her gaze.

"Idiot," he grumbled.

Not the reaction she was expecting.

"Idiot!" he repeated, "Why didn't you just wait for me?"

"Talon, he asked me. I'm not going to say no to a prince."

He finally looked back up at her, still biting his lip.

"Is that what you want?" he asked, "A prince?"

They'd drifted away from most of the others by now, off in their own corner of the gardens, the music merely a hum in their ears.

"Talon, you're being ridiculous," she sighed, "I care about you."

"I saw how you looked at him," he sneered, "You had that stupid dreamy grin on your face and then you almost fell."

Quinn wanted to argue, but he was right. She did have a stupid grin on her face when she was dancing with Jarvan, but it was because she'd been thinking of Talon. Realizing that she loved him.

He let go of her waist, taking her by the wrists and pulling her hands away from his face. This was wrong, she thought. She belonged in his arms, he couldn't push her away now.

"Good thing your prince was there to catch you."

She couldn't take it anymore.

"I love you, you idiot!" she cried.

The silence that followed was painfully heavy. She was grateful that they'd wandered away from the party, knowing that no one could hear her pathetic confession. Tears of frustration had begun to well in her eyes, threatening to spill over at any second.

Talon was staring at her blankly, his lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something. But he stayed silent, which only infuriated Quinn more. She'd just declared her love for him and he didn't even seem to care. How had she fallen for him in the first place?

"You're so difficult!" she exclaimed, "Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you can be a dick!"

"Say it again."

The fury died on her lips at the sound of his voice. It was soft, barely above a whisper, but she'd heard him.

"What?" she breathed.

He stepped closer to her, forcefully taking her face in his hands. There was a desperation in his eyes, something that sent a shiver down Quinn's spine.

"Look me in the eyes," he demanded, "And say it again."

She wanted to punch him in the face. To kick and scream and yell and call him the worst names she could think of. Yet, all she could do was give him exactly what he asked for. His eyes bore into hers and she took a deep breath before speaking, a lone tear managing to escape and roll down her cheek.

"I love you."

Her tears began to flow freely, despite her best attempts to hold them in. Talon remained silent, rubbing his thumbs against her cheeks to brush the tears away, his face vacant of any emotion.

She knew that he wouldn't say it back, that he would probably never love her, no matter how much she wanted him to. But damn him for not even saying anything, her heart couldn't take it. The least he could do was reject her properly and not leave her there waiting and hoping.

"You asshole," she breathed, "Say something."

His brows furrowed together, staring at her more intently.

"Again," he said.

"What?"

"Say it again."

Quinn could feel the anger boiling inside her. How long was he going to keep this up? Just making her say the words over and over without any kind of reaction would drive her insane. He drove her insane. And it was about time he knew that.

"You stubborn, arrogant, pigheaded son of a –"

She was cut short when he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was softer than she'd expected, gentle and tender. There was nothing forceful about it and she couldn't help but lean into him, weak at his touch. When he pulled away, her lips lingered close to his, not wanting the moment to end.

"Talon, I –"

"I know."

He kissed her again, so sweetly that she thought she'd melt into a puddle. When her knees trembled, he brought a hand down to her waist, pulling her closer as he helped support her weight. They stayed like that for quite some time, holding each other and sharing gentle kisses as the party carried on in the distance, the music a soft buzzing in their ears.

Not far from them, a bird was perched in a tree, watching the two lovers curiously. It cawed loudly before taking off from its branch, startling the couple and bringing their kiss to an abrupt halt as they looked for the source of the sound.

They scanned the area, but there didn't seem to be anything or anyone around.

"Not yours?" Talon asked teasingly.

"Nah, Val's probably out hunting," Quinn replied, "Plus, that sounded more like a raven…"

Funny, she thought. Ravens weren't particularly common in Demacia.

"Quinn."

She quickly looked back to Talon, heart fluttering when he said her name. Everything about him seemed so soft and relaxed as he smiled at her, so unlike from when they'd first met.

"Where's your room?" he asked.

"Talon!" she gasped.

While it was true that she did live in the castle, as did many other members of the Vanguard, she didn't think Jarvan would be too happy to see her bring a Noxian back for the night.

"We can't," she breathed, "There's a party going on…"

"After."

He squeezed her waist tightly, running his fingers through her hair as she blushed furiously.

"I'll kill everyone here if I have to," he said, "If that means I can be with you tonight."

It wasn't exactly the most romantic thing a man could say, but Quinn knew that, coming from Talon, those words meant quite a bit.

"We should probably avoid that," she teased, "But it's dangerous for you to stay here."

"You can't say those words to me and expect me to do nothing."

She tried to look away, but he took her chin in his hand, turning her head back and pressing their foreheads together.

"I can't…" he breathed, "I can't say those same words to you. Not yet."

Her heart stopped. Not yet. So there was a possibility that he could love her? She didn't want to seem blindly optimistic, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling at the thought.

"But," he continued, "I can make love to you. I can give you my body… Let me have you tonight. I'll go mad if I don't."

"Talon –"

"Please. I… I need you."

One look into those desperate eyes and she was his, body and soul. There was nothing she could do to stop him. She glanced around to assure they were still alone before she raised herself on her toes to whisper in his ears.

"It's on the south side of the citadel on the second story… There's a small balcony. I'll have Valor wait there so you can find it easily."

Talon grinned, tightening his grip around her waist before lifting her in the air, causing her to gasp in surprise. It was over too quickly for her liking, but the warmth of his hands on her back kept her from complaining.

"I'll be there as soon as this awful party is over," he said, "Wait for me."

Quinn nodded excitedly, suddenly overcome with giggles as he kissed her again and again, more passionately than before. She had to push him off of her after a moment, aware that they couldn't get too carried away. Not yet.

They returned to the party with their arms linked, Talon quick to put on his gentlemanly façade the moment they stepped in the ballroom.

In the garden, a lone woman walked away from the festivities. Once she was far enough away, she let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Demacians," she groaned.

A squawk filled the air and she glanced to the bird that had flown close, taking rest on her shoulder. The raven was horribly ugly, but she smiled at it fondly, reaching up to stroke the top of its head.

"Yes, Beatrice?" she asked.

The bird cawed a few times and the woman's lips twisted into a devilish grin.

"Really?" she asked with a pleased hum.

Another squawk of confirmation and the woman let out a maniacal laugh.

"How perfect," she sighed, "I'm sure your master will be delighted to know that the thorn in his side can finally be cut."

As she began to move further from the castle, she slowly allowed the magic to dissipate, shedding her disguise.

"Who would've thought?" she said to herself, "Just some stupid Demacian girl. How pathetic."

* * *

 _Author's Note: It only took thirteen chapters, but we've got a villain guys! Woo! Anyways, hoped you guys liked this chapter, it's the longest one so far and I put a lot of work into it. Let me know what you think, if anyone seemed out of character or something seemed off. I'm worried I might be rushing things with Quinn and Talon, but I'm trying to get to the central plot point of the fic (yeah, that hasn't happened yet). Working on the next chapter now, but it might be a while cause there may or may not be smut which I have never written before. Please be patient with me cause I have no idea what I'm doing ^^ Until next time!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Warning: This chapter contains smut.**_

* * *

Luckily for Quinn, the party began to draw to a close soon after she and Talon had returned from their excursion into the gardens. Lux was still dancing with that boy from Piltover, although Quinn assumed it was because Garen had occupied himself with Katarina. Both couples seemed quite enamored with another, assuring Quinn that they wouldn't notice if she happened to disappear.

Talon had slipped away almost immediately, where to Quinn wasn't sure, but she took the opportunity to sneak away herself, glancing around nervously to make sure no one was following her. Some guests followed her, as they were leaving the party as well, but none paid mind as she traveled further down the citadel's halls, hastily making her way to the stairs.

Living in the citadel had taken some getting used to, as she had grown up on a small farm with only her parents and Caleb. Other members of the Vanguard had quarters as well, though many of them were nobility and had their own manors they preferred to stay at, only staying at the citadel if it was specifically requested by Jarvan. All of the rooms were in the same location, which would've been more problematic if Quinn wasn't the only one who stayed there full time. She enjoyed her privacy, preferred it actually over the constant ruckus that took place when the entire Vanguard was assembled.

She hurried to her room, cursing the stupid dress she wore as it continuously tripped her. She couldn't wait to get the damn thing off.

Her room was similar to most of the guest rooms in the castle, spacious but simple. There was the usual bed, dresser and desk, but the rest of the furnishings were left to the guest themselves, as Jarvan encouraged his guests to make themselves at home and to be as comfortable as possible. For Quinn, that hadn't meant much in the way of furnishings, as she had never needed them in her old home. Instead she kept one wall covered with her art, varying from the dozens of sketches she'd create while out on missions to the occasional painting she found the time to complete in her free time.

Most of the art was simple, of landscapes or plants and animals (often Valor) with a few portraits. She'd drawn Jarvan a few times when she'd first joined the Vanguard, and there was even one sketch, though crude, with every member included. Her most recent one was hidden in the corner, as she wanted to avoid any guests seeing it.

It was of Talon, of course, as he'd been the main source of her inspiration for art as of late. She'd teased him about some of the wanted posters she'd found of him in Noxus, all of which were just crude sketches of a hooded figure with no discernable features. To fix this, she'd created her own recreation of him, doing her best to capture his personality. As it was a wanted poster, she'd drawn him with a stern expression, the one she'd seen when they'd first met. Still, she felt as though she'd done a pretty damn good job on capturing his look. She couldn't help but stare at it for a moment, able to lose herself in his eyes even when they were mere drawings.

A squawk pulled her from her daydream and she glanced to see that Valor had returned from his hunt and had perched himself on the balcony outside, waiting for Quinn to let him in.

"Val!" she called, running over to open the door and step outside.

The bird cawed sharply, stretching his neck as his way of demanding affection. Quinn laughed, obliging and stroking his plumage to earn a coo of approval.

"Have a nice dinner?"

Valor squawked in confirmation, tilting his head to receive more scratches.

"Good," Quinn replied, "I need you to stay here for a bit though."

The bird cocked his head to the side in confusion. After dinner he was always allowed in her room, choosing to sleep in her bed as he had for several years.

"Talon's coming to visit. I need you to stay so he knows where to go."

There was a rumble in Valor's chest as he narrowed his eyes, nipping at Quinn's fingers as he made a soft noise of disapproval.

"I know you don't like him," Quinn sighed, "But this is kind of a big deal. Just this one time, okay?"

It was impossible for Valor to say no to his partner, as nothing upset him more than seeing her unhappy. He ruffled his feathers and clicked his tongue, causing Quinn to smile.

"Thanks, Val. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She gave him a quick pat on the head before returning back to her room, leaving the door open so she'd be able to hear Talon arrive. The dress was still a nuisance and she considered getting out of it and taking a bath, which sounded lovely after this night of madness. But Talon had said he'd come straight to her, which didn't leave her much time to relax.

Shit, he was coming. She needed to get ready.

Unsure of what to do, she hurried to the mirror that hung above her dresser to inspect her appearance. Lux had truly done a fantastic job for which Quinn would have to thank her later. At least she didn't have to worry about that. Was there anything else for her to do? He'd never visited her in her quarters before and she felt suddenly unprepared. As far as she knew, there was nothing he did in preparation for her visits, but she felt as if she was obligated to do something for him. What that was, she had no idea.

Her heart raced as she looked to the door that led to her bathroom, trying to think of something. Should she change for him? She didn't exactly own any lingerie to fit the occasion, but there was a nightgown she could slip into. Would he like it? Would it seem like she was coming on too strong? Dammit, she'd already confessed her love for him, she couldn't come off any stronger than that.

There was a soft thud behind her and she whipped around. Too late, she thought. He'd already arrived and had pulled himself up from the balcony, glancing at Valor as he stood up straight. The bird glared at him but remained silent, ruffling his feathers slightly as Talon made his way inside.

"I'm impressed," he remarked, "He didn't try to rip my eyes out."

"I asked him nicely."

Quinn found herself unable to move. He was here in her room, in Demacia, where everyone wanted him dead. She worried that someone would burst in if she dared to move and take him away from her, the thought causing her heart to race.

Talon noticed her uneasiness and approached her quietly, reaching out to take her hands once they were close enough. He'd already let his hair down, she noticed, as some of it hung in front of his eyes. There was concern written across his face and Quinn found herself gasping at the sudden pressure when he squeezed her hands reassuringly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I…"

She knew her worries were meaningless, but that didn't stop them from gnawing away at her senses.

"I don't know," she admitted, "I just… I can't believe you're really here, with me. I feel like I'm dreaming."

He chuckled softly as he leant down to press his forehead to hers, something she'd discovered was one of his favorite ways of showing affection. His warmth immediately flowed into her and she released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I can assure you, this is not a dream," he murmured, "I'm here. And I'm here to please you, since you've pleased me so much already."

She trembled slightly at the implication of his words. Of course she wanted to make love with him, it's all she'd been thinking about since declaring her love, but something about it seemed off. She wanted him to hold her like this, just a bit longer before they were consumed with passion. To relish in this tenderness as long as she could.

"Quinn…"

She still shivered when he said her name.

"Tell me what you want."

"I…"

He pulled back ever so slightly, pressing his lips against her forehead, leaving a soft tingling sensation against her skin. Not yet, she told herself. She couldn't let herself get carried away now. This moment had to last just a bit longer…

"I want to take a bath."

She wasn't sure whether she surprised herself or Talon more with her words, but they were enough to make them both silent. He brought his head back further away, his brows furrowed in bewilderment.

"You're joking," he deadpanned.

A blush raced to Quinn's cheeks as she glanced nervously at her feet.

"I just…" she mumbled, "I wanted to relax a bit. Before we… you know."

Talon's lip twitched in amusement. Of all the possible things, she wanted to take a bath? And here he'd been preparing for some strange sexual fantasy. It could've been worse, he thought.

"Alright," he sighed, "Go and take your bath."

She didn't move right away, keeping her eyes on the floor and squirming slightly.

"Would you…" she started.

Her voice was weak and she refused to make eye contact, her hands fidgeting nervously in his. He didn't understand. While he found it odd, he wouldn't deny her a bath, so why was she still acting like this? After a moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and forced herself to look back up again, her blush deeper than it had been a moment ago.

"Would you join me?"

A grin crept onto Talon's face. That was more like it, he thought.

"Of course, birdie."

Still blushing madly, Quinn took him by the wrist to lead him to the bathroom. It was nothing special, a bit small if anything. Talon glanced around as she shut the door behind them, moving towards the center of the room where the tub was so she could start the water. He took the opportunity to remove his suit jacket, tossing it lazily on the floor beside him, grateful to be free from its confinement.

Quinn hesitated for a moment before shrugging the straps off her dress, letting it fall to her ankles before kicking it away. She watched as the water began to fill the tub, overcome with sudden modesty that prevented her from removing her underwear.

"While I do think that dress looked nice on you…"

He'd snuck up behind her to wrap his arms around her, chuckling when she flinched involuntarily.

"I think I prefer you out of it," he breathed.

The moment his lips were on her neck she let out a contented sigh, leaning back into him as he worked his way down her throat. While it felt amazing, she still had a goal and reluctantly pulled away from him. He grunted in disapproval but allowed her to step to the side, a glint of lust in his eyes as she finally began to remove her bra.

"You should get in before the water gets cold," she teased.

They both knew that wasn't going to happen so quickly, but he obliged, removing the rest of his clothes before stepping into the water. It was terribly hot, causing Talon to hiss in pain as he eased into it, the searing against his skin eventually fading into a pleasant warmth. To be honest, it was rather nice, as the heat soothed his sore muscles and put his mind at ease. He looked to Quinn, who had stripped completely but was now standing at the edge of the bath warily, her modesty returning as she wrapped her arms around her chest.

"Quinn," he sighed, "What did you just say about the water getting cold?"

She bit her lip, taking a quick breath before practically hopping in the tub, some water splashing Talon and causing him to mutter a curse under his breath. The water really was hot, but she had always preferred it that way and had no trouble easing herself into the water, sitting herself between Talon's legs. She leaned back to rest against his broad chest, adjusting herself to get as comfortable as possible before letting out a pleasant sigh.

The water was still running as the tub wasn't quite full just yet, the only noise in the otherwise silent room. Talon's arms found their way around her waist and her heart quickly began to race as she waited for him to make the next move. To her surprise, there was none and instead Talon just held her close, resting his chin on top of her head, feeling the soft vibrations of her pleased hum against his chest.

"Happy?" he asked.

"Very. I feel… safe."

It was true. Here, surrounded by warmth and wrapped up in his strong arms, Quinn had never felt safer. He nuzzled his face into her hair, earning a giggle from the woman he held so tenderly.

Quinn stretched her foot to turn off the faucet, realizing that the tub was threatening to overflow but not wanting to leave Talon's embrace. It took a few tries, but she managed to get a hold of the damn thing with her toes.

They stayed like that for some time, soaking in the silence and each other's warmth as their breathing gradually fell into synch. If she could stay like that forever, she would. Everything was alright here. There was no fighting, no hatred between warring kingdoms. Just the two of them, safe and sound.

"I love you."

She'd spoken without thinking and silently cursed herself for breaking the peaceful silence. Talon didn't seem to mind, merely humming in approval as he squeezed her waist. At least she hadn't completely ruined the moment, she told herself. It was slightly disheartening, not hearing him say the words back, but she had to think positively. Originally, she didn't think he'd ever be able to return her feelings, but what he'd said earlier stuck in her mind.

 _I can't say those same words to you. Not yet._

Just the tiniest possibility was enough to satisfy her, so she didn't dwell on it further, longing to focus more on the way she seemed to fit so perfectly against his chest.

The silence continued and Quinn would've fallen asleep had Talon not moved beneath her. She groaned softly in protest, slightly annoyed that her peace had been disturbed.

"Sorry," he muttered, "Was getting stiff."

She hadn't thought of his comfort, guilt suddenly overwhelming her as she pulled away, turning around so that she faced him.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"You didn't have to move. It was quite nice having you there actually."

Regardless, he took advantage of the moment to relieve his stiffness, stretching his arms up above his head. Quinn watched, pretending she wasn't drooling over how his muscles flexed. It only took a moment for him to catch her ogling.

"It's rude to stare," he taunted.

Quinn was quick to avert her eyes, the heat rising to her cheeks rivaling that of the water.

"You know," he continued, "It's only fair now if I have a good look at you."

Her arms wrapped around her chest instinctively, her blush worsening at the sound of Talon's laugh. She jumped slightly when she felt his hands on her arms, surprised by the sudden touch. He pulled on her gently, causing her to rise to her knees and reveal her slim waist. After a moment of hesitation, she allowed her arms to fall to her side, exposing her breasts.

His eyes gleamed with desire and Quinn found herself choking on air when he dragged his tongue over his lips seductively.

"Talon –"

"Come here."

Before she had time to react, Talon had grabbed her and forcefully pulled her down to him, crushing their lips together. A moan escaped her as she returned the kiss, more than willing to collapse against him. She'd satisfied her craving for a more innocent display of affection and found herself ready to give Talon what he wanted.

His kisses were sloppy and desperate, occasionally taking Quinn's bottom lip between his teeth to hear her helpless whimper that drove him crazy. He allowed his hands to wander to her back before sliding down further, causing her to yelp in surprise when he squeezed her ass none too gently.

"Talon!" she gasped, "We… We should probably take this somewhere else."

She was right. As much as he wanted to fuck her right then and there, he knew that a bath wouldn't be the most comfortable place for them. Without releasing her, he managed to rise to his feet, Quinn letting out a squeak of surprise as she flung her legs around his waist to hold herself up. Her fingernails dug into the back of his neck as she desperately tried to cling to him, her slippery body making the endeavor near impossible.

"A little warning would be nice!" she said breathlessly.

"You were the one who suggested we move," he replied.

Her retort was cut off by his lips yet again, rough and demanding. She was amazed at how he held her so effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing. Her fingers found their way to his hair and she quickly laced them through for a better grip. Hair pulling, as she'd discovered over their times together, was something he thoroughly enjoyed and the growl that rumbled through his chest as she tugged proved that he loved it as much as ever.

He climbed out of the tub, grateful for the towel that laid beside it that allowed him to quickly dry his feet. The last thing he needed was to slip and fall, though he had a feeling even that wouldn't be able to stop them at this point.

Despite the fact that Quinn was driving him wild with her hair pulling, he managed to carry her out of the bathroom, unceremoniously tossing her on the bed still soaking wet. Seeing her like that, sprawled in front of him completely bare, Talon couldn't control himself. He began to lunge for her when an obnoxiously loud squawk caught his attention.

A very irritated Valor was still out on the balcony, flapping his wings as he glared at the Noxian through the still open door.

"Valor!"

Quinn hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment, Talon quickly making his way back to the balcony.

"Get lost," he hissed, "We'll be busy for a while."

The bird cawed in disgust as Talon shut the door on him, hesitating before flying off into the night sky.

"Poor Valor," Quinn muttered to herself, "I can't believe he saw that."

"He's a bird," Talon said dryly, "He'll get over it."

She began to protest, but he'd already returned to the bed, wasting no time as he climbed over her, bending down to lock their lips together and relishing in the sound of her moans. Her toes curled into the mattress as his hands found her wrists, pinning them above her head effortlessly. Once he broke the kiss, Quinn found herself gasping for air, realizing just how long they'd been at it. But he didn't give her a chance to relax, only dragging his lips down to her neck to pepper her with more kisses. She squirmed at the feel of his teeth grazing her skin, unable to hold in her moans.

"Tell me what you want," he purred, "Let me give you everything."

Her thighs trembled at his words, another whimper falling from her lips as he sucked at the sensitive spot where her neck and collarbone met. At this point, she had no idea what she wanted. All she knew was that she needed Talon to keep doing exactly what he was doing and never stop. She bucked her hips unintentionally, trembling when Talon hummed against her throat in response.

"Say no more," he breathed.

Quinn's breathing hitched as he allowed his kisses to trail downwards, making sure to give a few to her breasts before continuing down her stomach, paying extra attention to her waist. Helpless against his touch Quinn found herself crying out as he nipped her hipbone, bucking again, not expecting to be so sensitive there.

"Fuck!"

Talon cocked a brow as he glanced up at her, smirking while he watched her chest heave as she tried to catch her breath.

"That's new," he commented, thoroughly amused.

Quinn bit her lip, aware of the smug tone he teased her with. It was a little embarrassing how easily she came undone for him, but she couldn't help it. He seemed to know all of her weak points and exactly how to make her say his name.

"Fuck you," she hissed, biting back another moan as he bit down in the same spot, harder this time.

"That's the plan," he taunted.

She wanted to return the snide comment with her own, but her voice broke off into a cry of ecstasy. Talon had placed himself between her thighs and given her one slow lick, surprised at her enthusiastic reaction. He'd never gone down on her before, but judging by her reaction this wouldn't be the last time.

"Talon…"

Her voice was weak and shaky, thick with desperation. The Noxian didn't seem to hear her, pressing a kiss to her inner thigh, enjoying the sweet sound of her whimpers.

"Please," she breathed, "Again."

Talon paused for a moment, allowing the anticipation to seep into her before he gave her another lick.

"Don't stop!" she gasped.

He had told her that he'd do as she said and he wanted to do everything he could for her after she'd declared her love for him. So, he obliged, burying his face into her, licking and nipping at her sensitive folds.

Quinn was a wreck, a mess of moans and whimpers as she bucked her hips into him, biting her lip to hold in the screams that tried to escape. He's done this before, she thought. There's no way he hadn't. He knew exactly what to do, somehow knowing exactly what she wanted as she squirmed against him.

"Talon, I'm –"

She came before she could finish her sentence, back arching as she felt the familiar sticky wetness flow against her thighs. Talon had no problem swallowing her, allowing her to finish before licking the cum that clung to her legs. Her body collapsed into the mattress, shaking as Talon finished cleaning up the mess she'd made.

Once he'd deemed her clean enough, he crawled back up to hover over her again, resting his forehead against hers as she tried to catch her breath.

"I take it you enjoyed that?" he asked teasingly.

She could only nod, still too focused on breathing to even try and attempt speaking. Talon smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I told you I'd take care of you."

Quinn chuckled slightly, finally managing to even her breathing.

"Yes," she sighed, "Yes, you did."

He allowed himself to flop on his side next to her, slinging an arm over her chest and pulling her close. Immediately, she rolled over to face him, gladly snuggling up against his chest. She had certainly enjoyed this new experience, but she felt guilty that he'd done so much for her and got nothing in return.

While she was still worn out from her orgasm, she still wanted to return the favor. Talon grunted in surprise when Quinn ground her hips in to his, perplexed by the sly grin she gave him. Had he not pleased her enough? She noticed his confused expression and placed her hand on his thigh, slowly dragging it up to earn a suppressed moan from the Noxian.

"I'm not gonna forget about you," she whispered, "I love you, remember?"

He tried not to notice where her hand was wandering, but damn it was difficult.

"You're sure?" he asked, "I wanted to focus on pleasing you tonight… to give you what you want."

Quinn pursed her lips, wrapping her hand around his length and causing him to inhale sharply.

"Talon, I promise that this will please me. I _want_ you inside me."

That was all he needed to hear. He flipped her back over onto her back in the blink of an eye, guiding himself to her entrance. Quinn hadn't expected him to take things so quickly, thinking she'd have more time to prepare, but her protests were cut off as he thrust himself into her, her voice breaking as she cried out.

Damn, it hurt. It always hurt. She blamed it on him for being so big, blinking back the tears that stung at her eyes as she knew the pain would fade soon. He was gentle at first, rocking back and forth slowly to ease the strain on her tight walls. She was grateful for his thoughtfulness, rocking back into him as the pain melted into a familiar warmth.

"Talon…"

Her voice was music to his ears, his name a favorite song of his to hear. He quickened his pace, aware that Quinn had relaxed and was no longer in pain. She matched his speed, the friction inside her sending bolts of electricity through her core. Her hands clawed at his back, desperate to have a grip on anything. Talon hissed, feeling some blood trickle down from her relentless attack but not relenting, moving deeper and harder with each thrust.

She couldn't stop moaning, not seeming to care just how loud she was being. It didn't matter, she thought. No one else was around to hear her. All she could think of was Talon and how she needed him even more, needed him to fuck her harder.

"Talon!"

She came again with his name on her lips, Talon following soon after. They collapsed into a heap, breathing ragged as their bodies trembled from the aftershock of the orgasm. Quinn felt his seed flow into her and sighed contentedly, nuzzling her face into his neck.

They waited until they could breathe properly again before separating, Talon sliding himself out carefully to ensure he didn't hurt her. He fell onto his back, sighing heavily. He'd meant to focus on pleasing her tonight, but that didn't stop him from enjoying what they'd just done.

Quinn rolled on top of him in an exquisitely ungraceful manner, Talon grunting at the sudden weight thrown onto him. She just giggled, reaching up and pushing some of his hair out of his face. The look in her eyes was vacant and dreamy, a pleased grin on her lips.

"I love you," she breathed.

Talon chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing her tightly.

"I know."

* * *

 _Author's Note: There you go. You kinky bastards have been begging for smut so I did my best. I have_ never _written smut before this, so I apologize if the quality is lackluster. At this point, I have none of the next chapter written, so unless I keep this crazy nonstop writing mindset, it will be a bit longer until the next update. We are very close to the main conflict as well! Please take your time to leave a review, tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how bad I am at writing smut, etc. See you guys next chapter!_


	15. Chapter 15

The nightmares woke him, as they almost always seemed to. It was nothing as terrible as the last time he'd slept with Quinn, but it was enough to pull him from his slumber, and he found himself catching his breath as his eyes shot open. There was a familiar weight on his chest and he glanced down to find Quinn practically on top of him, an arm and leg flung over his body while her head rested comfortably in the crook of his shoulder.

A lazy grin formed on his face as he turned his head to the side to look at the balcony. They'd forgotten to draw the curtains, though considering they were on the second floor he doubted that anyone had seen what they were up to the night before. Valor was perched on the balcony, his head tucked into his wing while he slept. The sky was still dark, the first rays of light threatening to spill over the horizon at any moment. That was his cue.

Reluctantly, Talon pushed Quinn's limbs to the side, carefully moving her head to rest against a pillow. She didn't seem to notice, so he swung his legs over the side of the bed, stretching his arms in the air as he let out a yawn. It was odd, he thought, how he always seemed to sleep better with her at his side.

"Talon…"

Apparently, he hadn't been as stealthy as he'd hoped. Her hand searched lazily for him, eventually resting on his back with a hum of content.

"Come back," she yawned, "You're warm."

Talon chuckled softly before standing up, earning a displeased grunt from Quinn.

"I've gotta go," he said, "Don't want anyone to see me leave. I'm not really supposed to be here."

He could hear Quinn mutter something in protest, but it was mostly incoherent. She reached out for him again but he had already moved, heading to the bathroom to retrieve his clothes. For once, they were in a nice pile on the floor, having undressed himself for once. He pulled on his boxers, taking the rest of the clothing in his arms

As soon as he returned to the bedroom, Quinn began to mumble again, slightly louder this time.

"Just a little longer," she groaned, "The sun's not even up…"

He crossed the room to return to the bed, amused at the pouty face Quinn gave him.

"It's easier to hide in the dark," he replied, "And there shouldn't be too many Demacian guards wandering around at this hour."

She knew he was right. He was always right. But that didn't make it any easier.

He reached out to stroke her cheek and her hand was quick to follow his, resting delicately on top. She wanted him to stay more than anything, to crawl back in bed with never let her go.

"I don't want you to go."

The look in her eyes made him weak, but he knew that he had to keep his resolve. If he stayed he'd increase his chances of being caught and never being able to see her again. Not being able to see her again…

He quickly shook the thought from his mind, instead focusing on her, trying to ignore the way his heart was beating so rapidly.

"You know where to find me," he assured, "Come find me and I'll stay with you for as long as you want."

Quinn squeezed his hand and nodded, the familiar smile he adored so much returning to her lips.

"I doubt your sister wants me back anytime soon, so the usual place?"

"Of course."

He flipped his hand over to hold hers, bringing it up to press a gentle kiss against the back of it. Her smile grew as his lips lingered, drawing out the kiss as long as possible. Perhaps he didn't want to leave her either, she thought. When he finally did pull away, he allowed his hand to remain, their fingers loosely holding on to each other, not wanting to be the first to let go.

It was Talon who parted first, taking a step back so that he could finish getting dressed. Once he'd finished, he leant over to place a kiss on her forehead, a pleasant warmth trickling down into Quinn's toes at the display of affection.

As he made his way to the balcony, he looked back over his shoulder one more time to see Quinn settling back into the bed, pulling the blankets around her tightly and snuggling into the pillow. Damn, she was adorable.

"Don't keep me waiting," he called.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

True to her word, Quinn did return to Noxus as quickly as possible, though it wasn't nearly soon enough for either of them.

The moment she'd walked through the door Talon had pulled her into his arms, lifting her off the ground as he kicked the door shut behind them. Quinn's infectious giggle filled the room as he spun her around and Talon found himself laughing with her.

"It's hardly been a week!" she laughed, "I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome."

"We both know that I'm hardly a patient man."

He carried her over to the bed, keeping her in his arms as he sat down so that she could lay in his lap. She was eager to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face into his hair, inhaling his familiar scent of steel and alcohol she'd grown so accustomed to.

"How long do I have you for?" he asked as he gave her waist a playful squeeze.

She giggled again, having missed his touch. They hadn't been apart that long but to Quinn it felt like years. Any time without him seemed so lonely, dragging on and on as though it would never end. Seeing him again made her heart overflow with happiness, reaffirming her love for him.

"A whole week," she replied, "Hopefully you don't have anything else to do…"

"Just you."

His lips were quick to find her neck and she let out a squeal of delight as he nipped at her flesh, the spot at her collarbone that he'd discovered where she was most sensitive.

"Talon! I just got here!"

"Your point?"

Her body curled in on itself as he bit down again, her knees pulling into her chest as she tried to stop herself from moaning. It wasn't fair, she thought, how he knew exactly how to make her bend to his will.

"Are we… just going right into it?" she asked, feeling a familiar warmth against her cheeks.

"Is that a problem?"

Definitely not a problem, but it was different. Sure, Talon had a high sex drive but this was unlike him. Usually he'd be more subtle in his seduction, always happy to watch Quinn fall apart at the seams from his slow foreplay. But now he was eager, wasting no time to get right to the point.

"It's not a problem," she replied, "Just… different. You're not usually so eager."

He pulled away from her neck, his expression softening as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I've been waiting for this since the moment I left your bed," he breathed, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

Quinn's heart hammered in her chest violently. Rarely was he ever sentimental and now for him to suddenly show emotion, after she'd confessed her love, she couldn't help but hope.

"Really?"

Her breath hitched as she spoke, betraying her as she attempted to hide her anxiousness. She didn't think he would say it since they hadn't seen each other since her own confession, but perhaps he'd taken the time to self-reflect. At least that's what she could dream.

Talon nodded, their noses bumping together. There were no more words to Quinn's disappointment, but she knew better than to let it bother her. Of course he wasn't going to say he loved her just like that, no matter how hard she wished for it. She sighed softly, allowing her eyes to close in thought. She wouldn't try to force him to say it; there was no point if he didn't mean it. So, she'd continue to wait, satisfied with the simple fact that they were together.

"You ok?"

Talon's voice dragged her from her thoughts and her eyes opened to find him looking at her, his brows pulled together in concern.

That was enough for her.

She smiled, reaching a hand up to touch his face, Talon quick to follow and take her hand in his.

"Yes," she murmured, "As long as you're with me, I'll be fine."

Talon averted his gaze hastily, biting the corner of his lip as he tried to look anywhere else.

"How do you say such things so easily?" he mumbled.

Quinn noticed the slight blush on his face and couldn't help but giggle, pressing her lips to his cheek in a sweet kiss. It was nice to see him as the flustered one for a change.

"Because I love you," she answered.

That only caused Talon's blush to intensify, but before she could tease him he'd removed her from his lap and pushed her down into the bed before climbing on top of her. The blush was still there and he was trying, but failing, to avoid her gaze.

"You…"

He bit his lip as he tried to think of a response and Quinn giggled at the sight of his intensely focused expression.

"You're going to drive me crazy if you keep saying things like that."

She opened her mouth to speak, unsure if he was serious or not, but was cut off as he brought his lips to hers. It was a deep kiss, one that melted Quinn and made her eyes roll back. When he pulled away she raised her head to follow, not quite able to reach again.

"That's one way to shut you up," he teased.

Another attempt at a retort was again cut off by yet another kiss, one that was able to elicit a moan from the Demacian. She squirmed beneath him, catching her breath as he took her bottom lip between his teeth, tugging at it gently.

"You're the worst," she huffed.

"But you love me."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, quickly glancing away as he shot her a smug grin. Now he was going to hold this over her head, relentlessly tease her about it. But that was alright, she thought as she looked back at him and his stupid, beautiful face. She knew his teasing was well intended and all in good fun. It was one of his many ways of showing that he cared, maybe almost as much as she cared for him.

"Yeah," she sighed, "I do."

* * *

The last day was always the hardest.

They'd been nearly inseparable, never apart for more than a few hours. Talon didn't seem as concerned about being noticed as much as he had before, allowing them to stay at their usual tavern instead of constantly hopping from place to place. It was nice to have such a familiar routine and for a brief moment, Quinn thought it could stay like that. But of course, it never could.

It wasn't fair how fast the time had gone. She could've sworn she'd just left Demacia yesterday, but here she was, gathering her belongings in their shared room before returning back to her kingdom.

Talon had left a while ago, but assured that he'd be back to bid her farewell.

It was raining, as usual in Noxus, the pattering on the window a familiar and comforting sound. She hoped that Talon was staying dry in this weather. He hadn't said what he'd left for, but it made Quinn more than a little anxious.

He still hadn't said those three words she'd been wanting to hear, though she definitely didn't hold it against him. Talon wasn't a particularly emotional man so it would take some time for him to come to term with his feelings, let alone tell them to someone else. Still, she kept hoping.

The door opened suddenly and Quinn whirled around to see Talon who had been unable to completely escape the rain. She beamed and began to run to him when he brought up his arm, signaling her to stop. His face was hidden beneath his hood and Quinn began to worry that something had happened.

"Talon –"

"Close your eyes."

His voice was different, not angry or upset as she had expected. It was almost… nervous. Quinn didn't understand.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Just do it."

Still unsure, Quinn allowed her eyes to close, wondering what had gotten into him. There was the sound of the door closing and then his footsteps, heavier than normal. He'd stepped behind her and her heart began to race. What was he doing? Was he finally going to kill her after all this time?

Something cold touched her neck, but it wasn't a blade. It was much smaller, like a thin chain around her throat.

"Alright, open."

Quinn obeyed and glanced down. She was right in that it'd been a chain, thin and dark against the paleness of her skin. But it was what hung on the chain that caused her heart to stop. It was a simple ring, made of a dark stone with a small red gem in the center.

She nearly fainted on the spot.

"Do you like it?"

Talon's voice brought her back to the real world and she spun around immediately, feeling the tears well in her eyes.

"It's not much," he said, "But I realized that I never returned the favor when you got that scarf for me."

A tear managed to roll down her cheek and Talon began to panic, taking her face in his hands and wiping the tear away with his thumb.

"Did I upset you?" he asked, "I didn't mean –"

"Talon, it's _beautiful."_

She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before looking back down at the ring, taking it carefully between her fingers. It was slightly heavier than she expected, despite its fragile appearance. Talon relaxed upon realizing she wasn't upset, sighing with relief.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it… I love you."

She kissed him again, more eagerly this time. This was not what she'd expected from him, but little else could've made her happier.

When she pulled away from the kiss Talon's face lingered, his breath warm on her flushed skin.

"Quinn…"

His voice shook ever so slightly despite his best attempts to keep calm. Before continuing he took a deep breath, determined not to waver again.

"How soon can you return to Noxus?" he asked.

Quinn furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "Most likely two weeks or so…"

He nodded in understanding, pausing a moment before he continued.

"Next time you come, I have… something important I want to discuss with you."

Quinn swore she felt her heart somersault. This was it. It had to be. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't stop her heart from pounding.

"Not now?" she asked nervously.

He shook his head.

"Not yet… I need some time to think everything through. Two weeks should be enough time though."

"Then I'll be back in two weeks."

"Promise?"

Quinn blinked in surprise. She couldn't think of the last time he'd promised her something or asked for one in return. It made sense, as he didn't exactly seem like the kind of a man to keep promises. But this was different, special. He was opening his heart to her, slowly but surely and she wanted to assure him that it would be safe in her hands.

"Promise."

* * *

Time had never dragged by slower for Quinn. Every day seemed longer than the last to the point where she felt as though months had gone by. It was the longest two weeks of her life.

All she wanted was to go back to Talon, to see his face again. He'd said he had something important to talk about and she could only pray that it would involve him returning her love. She daydreamed constantly of the moment, of how he'd take her somewhere special and do something horribly romantic. At first, she hadn't considered him much of a romantic, but after he'd given her that ring she had no idea what was up his sleeve.

With the time moving by so slowly, Quinn found herself lethargic and fatigued. She wasn't as sharp during her training, of which Garen made sure to inform her. She knew that it would pass the moment she saw Talon again, but it was still annoying as it only made the situation even more unbearable.

Lux noticed this and asked her if she was alright, but Quinn assured her she was fine. The younger girl then began to tease her about being lovesick and Quinn didn't have the heart to argue since Lux was technically right. All she could think about was Talon and the necklace she never took off.

When the day for her departure finally came, Quinn's elation was overshadowed by dread. Jarvan had called for the Vanguard to train together for the first half of the day, saying that they needed to bond more. She tried to get out of it, telling Jarvan that she had to get to her mission as soon as possible, but he dismissed her, assuring her that Noxus could wait a few hours.

Noxus could wait, but Quinn couldn't.

The training was boring as usual, most of the members (aside from Lux) avoiding her. But she pushed through, telling herself that the sooner she got this over with the sooner she could see Talon. The fatigue from before seemed to evaporate as she sped through each exercise to Jarvan's delight, though Garen couldn't begin to fathom what had come over her.

Finally, it came to an end, the last exercise simply to run a few laps around the training grounds. Quinn had always been as fast as she was tenacious, but today she pushed herself farther than she ever had. Once this was done she could see Talon, be with Talon, hear him say her name and maybe finally hear him say he loved her as much as she loved him.

She was the first to finish after Garen, who looked at her wide-eyed as she ran up behind him, panting for air.

"What's the matter, Quinn?" he asked, "In a hurry to get somewhere?"

Still gasping, she leant over to place her hands on her knees, forcing out a laugh at his attempt at a joke. If only he knew.

And then suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Her throat seemed to close in on itself as her lungs desperately sought more oxygen.

"Quinn?"

Garen's voice was distant despite him being only a few feet in front of her. Why did he seem so fuzzy?

Her knees shook violently, no longer able to support her weight. Talon, she thought. She had to get to Talon.

"Quinn!"

It was Jarvan this time. His voice was so quiet, she thought. Why was he whispering? It didn't matter, she had to leave now. She had to get to Talon.

Then she collapsed to the ground with a thud, her consciousness pried from her body.

 _"Quinn!"_

* * *

 _Author's Note: Hey long time no see! This chapter took me forever to write, mainly because I'm desperately trying to move things along here. But important stuff definitely did happen and things are gonna get crazy next chapter. Sorry to leave you on another cliffhanger, but I'll do my best to get the next chapter out ASAP. I'm_ super _excited for the next chapter and where this fic is going from here on out and I hope you guys like it!_


	16. Chapter 16

He waited.

He wasn't a patient man, but he waited.

The journey from Demacia to Noxus took time, give or take a few days. It was possible that she'd gotten a late start, that Jarvan had kept her a bit longer.

So, he waited.

Sid was surprised to see him at the tavern so often, but knew better than to pry into the assassin's business. Instead he just poured drink after drink for him, not unhappy to have such a consistent customer. He did wonder what happened to that little Demacian girl though.

At first, Talon didn't mind. He was somewhat relieved, having more time to himself and his thoughts. It was nerve wracking, but at least he knew he was certain. He loved her.

The alcohol helped ease his panic at first, lulling him into a familiar and calming haze. Without it, he was terrified. He'd never been in love before and had no idea how to deal with it. Most people saw him as a monster and he was fine with that, but Quinn was different. She loved him and all of his flaws, his scars. No one should've been able to get so deeply under his skin but she had, and had stolen the heart he didn't know he had.

It was awful, he decided, to be in love. He didn't understand how people could possibly enjoy it. All it did was distract him, fill his mind with thoughts of her and nothing else. How could anyone get anything done when they were in love?

He didn't know what would happen when he told her. Of course, she'd already declared her love for him, so he had nothing to worry about in regards to her reciprocating his feelings. But where would they go from there? It wasn't like they could make it public and tell everyone. They were still from two kingdoms bound together by hatred and that wasn't going to change any time soon. She wouldn't abandon her duties to Demacia and he wouldn't stop trying to solve the general's disappearance.

She said she'd loved him though and that had to count for something. Love was supposed to conquer all or something, at least he thought he remembered her saying something along those lines. She'd seemed so passionate when talking about her love for him, always earnest and sincere. She didn't see him as a monster or an animal, but as a man. A broken man, but a man nonetheless, one she said she wanted to be with. And he realized that he wanted to be with her, too.

Maybe they could have a future together. It seemed impossible, but he had to speak with her. To tell her that he loved her and would do anything for her and see just how much she cared for him.

But the days turned to weeks and there was still no sign of her.

She'd told him that she'd come back to him, she'd said two weeks. He could understand her being a few days late, but it had been over a month since she was supposed to return. There was nothing, no letters, no stupid bird to bring a message. Nothing.

And Talon was overcome with rage.

The drinking increased, he demanded harder alcohols from a very confused Sid who had no choice but to oblige. Fights broke out in the bar easily as he was quick to snap at the slightest provocation. Drunken and hurt, he'd tackle anyone that looked his way, nearly killing them before other patrons would intervene and pull them apart. Sid would try to kick him out, but Talon threatened his life each time, demanding another bottle to wash away the pain.

It was a horrible feeling, as if someone had reached into his chest and yanked out his heart, leaving a gaping hole to fester and bleed. The nightmares were never-ending and even there he was unable to escape the pain, her face always there.

He had to give her credit. She'd been more cunning than he'd expected. To go to such lengths to eliminate a foe, her dedication was remarkable. It would've been less painful if she'd just killed him. The pain was too much to bear. He had to put an end to it.

Determined to rid himself of this agony as quickly as possible, he secured a horse to ride to Demacia. The trip took significantly less time and he was able to arrive shortly after nightfall, knowing well that this was the best time for him to work.

He remembered these woods; they were the ones where he'd stumbled upon Quinn and Kat's first meeting. He'd saved her then, shooing his sister away to play with her Demacian toy. He clenched his teeth as he urged the horse forward. He should've let Kat have her way with her.

At the edge of the woods he dismounted and tied the horse to a tree, knowing that he'd need it to make a quick getaway. Guards would be on him quickly once he was finished and he had no intention of getting caught.

Peering through the trees, Talon was able to see the citadel and the familiar balcony he'd climbed several weeks ago. Valor was perched there, eyes alert as he scanned the horizon.

Damn, he hadn't thought about the bird.

He kept hidden in the trees, dragging his hand over his arm blade as he tried to think of a plan. Luckily for him, he didn't need one. Valor took off suddenly in the opposite direction. Perhaps he was patrolling the grounds, but Talon didn't care. He took the opportunity to dart across the open field, grateful that Demacians were too proud to have constant guards.

Scaling the wall was easy, but seeing the door in front of him made him hesitate. Would she even be there? For all he knew she could've left Demacia to hide from him. And for a moment, he hoped she did.

He opened the door without a sound, steeling himself as he walked in with a renewed determination.

The room was the same as he remembered, pictures still covering the wall, the door to the bathroom slightly cracked. Nothing had changed. Talon grit his teeth as he walked over to the side of the bed, disgusted.

She laid there peacefully, blissfully unaware of his presence. Her hair had gotten longer, nearly reaching her shoulders. And she was smiling. She was turned away from him and he could only see the corner of her mouth, but there was no doubt.

After everything she'd done to him, after she'd forced him to open up to her and manipulated him. She smiled.

Talon raised his blade as the anger boiled inside him. She deserved to suffer, to feel the pain she'd inflicted upon him.

He stepped back in surprise when she shifted suddenly, his arm wavering. She rolled over onto her other side and he was forced to look upon her face. It was true, she had been smiling, that sweet smile that caused him to falter. The smile that had thawed his cold heart.

"Talon…"

The assassin hissed at the sound of his name. She was still asleep, but her voice was clear: she was sad.

She spoke longingly, lovingly, as if she was calling out to him personally.

He stared at her in confusion, wondering why she spoke this way despite abandoning him. His eyes wandered down to her neck where a familiar chain hung, the ring dangling against her chest. Shocked, he stumbled backwards, dropping his arm.

Quinn shifted again, this time squinting her eyes open after hearing an unusual noise.

"Talon?"

The assassin just stared, still processing the fact that she was still wearing his necklace.

Quinn squinted harder, allowing her vision to focus before her eyes shot open, wide and bright with joy, only confusing him further.

"Talon!"

She began to sit up, but Talon regained his determination, drawing his blade to her neck, causing her to freeze in terror. He wouldn't let his guard down so easily. She'd already tricked him once, he wouldn't let her do it again.

"You almost had me fooled," he hissed.

"Talon…"

Her voice was weak and shaky, the happiness in her eyes quickly replaced with fear. She glanced down at the blade, the cold steel dangerously close to breaking skin.

"You…"

He struggled to find words as he looked at her, so scared and small. He hated seeing her like that… No. No, she deserved this. She betrayed him.

"You made me think that you loved me."

"I do –"

A hiss of pain silenced her as he put more pressure on the blade. The laceration was small but it stung, a ribbon of blood trickling down her throat. Talon narrowed his eyes. This was proving to be more difficult than he'd anticipated.

"Why don't you scream?"

His victims, when he toyed with them like this, always screamed. They'd weep and beg for help, for him to show mercy, to have a heart. Yet she remained silent, trying to put on a brave face in front of him.

"Because they'll find you," she breathed.

Talon scowled, pulling his blade back for a moment. Nothing she was saying made any sense. What was the point in trying to confuse him further? What was she trying to accomplish?

Quinn kept her eyes on the blade as she reached up to touch her neck, inhaling sharply when she touched her wound, gingerly pressing her palm against it so stop the bleeding.

"Talon…"

He tensed at the sound of her voice, raising his blade again.

"Listen to me," she begged, "I'm –"

"Shut up!" he bellowed.

Quinn's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but it was too late. The door had burst open to reveal two Demacian guards brandishing their swords.

Without hesitation, Talon leapt over the bed, darting at the intruders. They both went pale at the sight of the assassin and one had the sensibility to scream for help, but he was quickly silenced as Talon dragged his blade along his neck. He disposed of the other just as quickly, looking down to admire his work.

Guards, he thought. She'd had guards outside her door. Waiting for him. So she really did want him dead.

"Idiot!"

Something soft hit his back and he glanced behind to see a pillow on the floor at his feet. Looking to the bed, he saw that Quinn had sat up and grabbed the other pillow, her eyes burning with frustration. She flung the other pillow at him violently, but it was easy for him to dodge. He began to make his way back to the bed, leaving behind a crimson trail as his blade dripped blood.

"You had guards," he remarked, "Did you really think a few pathetic soldiers would stop me?"

"They weren't for you!" she snapped.

Again, nothing that came from her mouth made sense. There hadn't been guards the last time he'd been here. What else could she possibly need them for?

"I'm tired of your lies, Quinn," he hissed.

He brought his blade up again, the moonlight shining on the cold steel and blood. But she didn't cower. She no longer seemed sad or hurt, but angry. Her eyes burned molten gold, even as he stalked closer to her, towering over her as bloodlust began to consume him.

"I'm not lying!" she yelled, "If you would just shut up and listen to me –"

Fed up with her defiance, Talon shoved her forcefully, causing her to fall back on the bed with a soft thump. The blade was quick to find her chest, resting just above her heart, the blood of the Demacian soldiers staining her shirt.

"You betrayed me," he said darkly, "There's nothing left for you to say."

Quinn knew that she didn't have any more time to try and talk sense into him. She needed to stop him now or he'd kill her.

He drew the blade back ever so slightly, preparing to thrust it into her, but he hesitated. As angry as he was, something about this was off. All he'd ever done was kill, no questions asked. Love was never something he was supposed to have, it didn't belong in his life. Yet there she was, eyes wide but still locked on his, staring into his soul. He felt vulnerable and exposed, another cursed side effect of this love sickness.

Quinn noticed his hesitation and, ever so slowly, reached out to take his free hand. He flinched at the touch, cursing the way his skin grew warm when it met hers. The blade remained hovering above her chest, Talon unable to move it further. He'd become paralyzed by her touch, all of those stupid emotions rushing into him at once, overwhelming him. All he could do was stare as she cautiously pulled at his arm, bringing it over her stomach.

"Talon…"

Her voice. Her sweet voice, the voice he hadn't heard in so long. God, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it until now. A tear had rolled down her cheek and Talon was surprised to find that one had escaped from him as well.

She squeezed his hand reassuringly before pressing it down against her stomach. An unfamiliar warmth spread through his palm, up his fingertips and soaked into his veins. His brows furrowed in confusion as he looked down, unsure of what had caused this surprisingly pleasant sensation.

"Talon."

He looked back to her, watching the tears flow freely as she offered him a weak smile.

"I don't understand…" he breathed.

Quinn laughed softly, choking on her tears as she tried to blink them back. God, how he'd missed her laugh. She spoke in a gentle voice, a whisper to assure her words were for his ears only, even though they were alone.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I'm honestly surprised how many of you guys guessed this. I was trying to make it more of a shock, but you guys were just too smart I guess ^^ But hey, congrats, we made it! Plot is finally going to start happening! So let me know what you guys thought, if you loved it or hated it. I know this one's pretty short compared to the most recent ones but they should go back to being longer after this one from here on out. Thanks for all your support and I'll see you next time!_


	17. Chapter 17

_The first half of this chapter takes place one month prior to the events at the end of last chapter. The second half resumes where the last chapter left off. Putting this here for clarification in case it's confusing._

* * *

At first, Quinn couldn't remember what had happened. She'd been doing her mandatory training, running faster than usual for some reason. And then everything went fuzzy, her mind unable to recall what had come next.

She sat up to take in her surroundings, noticing that the area seemed vaguely familiar. There had never been a time she'd needed to go to the infirmary, but she could remember Jarvan showing it to her when giving her a tour of the castle grounds. It was decently sized, able to fit a dozen or so patients. All the beds were empty and neatly made, aside from the one she occupied. Glancing down, Quinn noticed that she'd been changed into a plain medical robe and had a bandage wrapped around her arm. What had warranted the bandage? She assumed that she must've passed out, but that wouldn't require any type of physical aid.

"You're awake."

Quinn nearly jumped out of the bed at the sudden voice, whipping her head around to find Jarvan IV standing at her bedside. Had he been there the whole time? Surely not, but when had he snuck in without her noticing? Perhaps she really was sick if her senses were this dull.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," she said, "But I don't really remember how I got here."

Something was different about him. He was usually so friendly with her, always treating her as an equal rather than a subordinate. But now his face was cold, his arms folded across his chest almost defensively.

"You overexerted yourself and ended up passing out."

The tone to his voice was just as cold as his expression. Something must've happened, she just couldn't remember what. It had to be rather severe for him to be acting this way.

She shifted awkwardly in the bed, trying her best to nonchalantly avoid his piercing gaze.

"I'm sorry," she replied, "I… I don't know why that would've happened."

Jarvan sighed heavily, closing his eyes in thought.

"Neither did I. That's why I had the doctor run some blood tests, to see if we could find an answer."

So that explained the bandage on her arm at least. She appreciated his thoughtfulness and concern, but that didn't answer why he was acting so distant. Had the tests revealed something he didn't want to tell her?

"And?" she asked, "Did they find anything?"

Jarvan opened his eyes again and stood up straight, a tower looming over her bedside.

"Quinn."

Her stomach flipped nervously. His voice was stern, as if he was speaking to an enemy rather than a friend. He'd never spoken to her this way before.

"I usually avoid prying into the personal lives of my soldiers," he said, "At least, under normal circumstances…"

The scout tilted her head in confusion. It was true; Jarvan had asked her the typical questions about her past, where she grew up, but he'd never tried to delve any deeper than that. Something was wrong.

"I'm afraid I don't understand…"

"Where did you get this?"

Jarvan extended a fist, slowly opening his hand to reveal a familiar ring.

Quinn's hand flew her neck, mortified to find it bare. Everything rushed back to her in an instant. Talon. He was waiting for her in Noxus, that's what had made her push herself so hard. She'd been racing to get to him.

"Where did you get this?" Jarvan repeated.

Her fingers danced at her throat nervously, as if that would somehow make the necklace return.

"It was a gift," she answered weakly.

The answer seemed to anger Jarvan, causing him to sneer and clench his fist around the ring again. Quinn desperately wanted to reach out and take it back, but his fiery glare kept her paralyzed, her hand trembling as it fell to rest against her chest.

"From a lover I presume?" he hissed.

Quinn felt her throat tighten. She trusted Jarvan, but she knew that she could never tell him about Talon. He wouldn't understand. She looked for the words to explain herself but they never came.

"The stone is set in a metal used in the building of Noxtorra," Jarvan continued, "It's not easy to come by… Only nobles and wealthy Noxians could get their hands on something like this."

"Jarvan I –"

The resounding smack that filled the room was deafening in Quinn's ears, so much so that she hardly felt the sting of his hand colliding with her face. Tears were quick to find their way to her eyes, though they were not from the pain of Jarvan's slap.

"I trusted you," he snapped, "How could you betray Demacia like this?"

"Never!" she gasped.

Jarvan raised a brow at the sudden conviction in her voice. The tears had begun to fall, though she made no attempt to hold them back.

"I would never betray Demacia!" she exclaimed, "You don't know him! He –"

"You carry his child, Quinn!"

The words knocked the wind out of her.

She fell back against the head of the bed, her tears coming to an abrupt halt as she tried to remember how to breathe. Her hands wandered to her stomach absentmindedly, her eyes staring blankly ahead at the emptiness before her.

Carried his child? She was pregnant? How could this happen?

Jarvan sighed, his face softening upon seeing her shocked reaction.

"I understand that this wasn't planned," he said, "But the fact of the matter is that you've been sleeping with the enemy. A Noxian noble for that matter. Who knows how much sensitive information you could've leaked to him?"

Quinn's head snapped back to Jarvan, the vacantness in her eyes replaced with a fierce determination.

"I would never do such a thing," she answered, "I would never betray Demacia."

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair, clearly torn about the situation.

"I want to believe you, Quinn, I truly do. But you've lied this much, I don't know how I can trust you."

She didn't bother to protest; she knew he was right. He had no reason to believe anything she said at this point. Everything she'd worked for until now was for nothing, she'd thrown away it all just for love. And yet, a warmth bubbled in her core, one that spread through her body and enveloped her entirely.

She loved Talon. Without a doubt, she loved him and she wouldn't change that for anything. This child was proof of that. Jarvan had to understand that.

His face had become slightly sad, his brows pulled together as he sighed.

"This isn't something I can just let go and ignore," he said, "But… if you help me, I'll make sure you avoid punishment."

Quinn's face lit up at his words. She knew that he'd understand; he was a good and wise prince after all.

"Yes, Your Highness!" she breathed, "I understand your suspicions, but my loyalty to Demacia would never waver."

A small smile played at Jarvan's lips, happy to hear her words of devotion.

"I'm glad to hear that," he replied, "Now… who is the father?"

Quinn hesitated. She wanted to believe that he only wanted to know so that he could reunite them, but there was a gnawing suspicion that kept her from telling him immediately.

"…Why do you want to know?" she asked warily.

Jarvan's face hardened ever so slightly, but it was enough to keep Quinn on edge.

"You're under suspicion of treason, Quinn. You're not in the position to be asking questions."

The acid in his voice sent a chill down her spine. But she remained steadfast, digging deep within herself to find the strength to sit up straight under his glare.

"I want to know why you're asking," she said, her voice shaking only slightly.

She didn't even see him move, but the next thing Quinn knew, Jarvan had wrapped a hand around her arm, his grip not particularly gentle.

"Please."

There was a desperation in his voice that Quinn was unfamiliar with and she found herself shaking.

"I want to believe you," he continued, "That you wouldn't betray Demacia… betray me. Just tell me who he is and I will make sure this all goes away. I'll give you a clean slate."

It all became clear to Quinn, her face paling at the realization.

"You're going to kill him."

Jarvan clenched his jaw and Quinn immediately tried to break free from his grasp, but his hold was firm.

"I don't know what you've told him," Jarvan hissed, "He could know information vital to this kingdom's security. He is a threat and must be eliminated immediately."

"I haven't told him anything!" she pleaded, "Jarvan, listen to me!"

"I am not betting the safety of this kingdom on the word of a woman who would stoop so low as to sleep with a Noxian! Now tell me his name!"

"…No."

His grip on her arm tightened and she was able to see that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"Dammit, Quinn! I'm trying to help you! Why are you protecting him?"

The tears had found their way back to her eyes, one escaping as she took a deep breath.

"I love him."

Jarvan's eyes widened and for a moment, there was nothing. No words, no tears, no anger. Just silence.

After what felt like years, he released her to stand up straight. Without a word, he extended his other hand out over her and dropped the ring onto her lap. Quinn was quick to grab it, pressing it lovingly against her chest, grateful that the one piece of him she had was returned.

"You'll be tried for treason, you know," Jarvan murmured.

She glanced up and saw the sadness in his eyes, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I have done nothing wrong," she answered, "Unless falling in love is a crime."

"It is when it's a Noxian… it pains me to see how much he's tainted your mind."

Quinn scowled.

"I love him, Jarvan."

"But does he love you?"

The silence returned, a painful, heavy weight against Quinn's chest. Talon had never officially reciprocated her feelings. He'd told her that he wanted to speak with her about something, but she couldn't be sure that it was about love. Perhaps he really did feel nothing at all.

"You're under arrest, Quinn," Jarvan sighed heavily, "On suspicion of treason. I'm not so heartless as to imprison you in your current state, so you will be placed under house arrest until… the child arrives. After that, you will be at the mercy of a judge… I trusted you, Quinn. I thought that this kingdom… that _I_ meant something to you."

His words were cold and harsh as he left, piercing Quinn's heart as the door closed behind him.

Quinn's hand found her stomach and she pressed against it gently, the warmth seeming to have faded slightly. Unable to control herself, Quinn burst into tears. Tears for Jarvan, for Talon, for her unborn child. For herself. For the first time since she'd met Valor, she felt utterly alone.

* * *

Talon stared at her, frozen in place as he hovered over her. Nothing could have prepared him for this; hell, it probably would've been easier if she'd just betrayed him like he thought. But that wasn't true. Quinn was pregnant with his child. After a tense moment of silence, Quinn watching him carefully to make sure he didn't raise his weapon again, he sighed.

"Fuck."

It wasn't exactly what Quinn had been wanting to hear, but she was relieved to notice that the former hostility in his voice had disappeared.

Talon removed his hand from her stomach, eyeing it as he climbed off of the bed. Quinn sat up straight, her lip between her teeth as she looked down sheepishly.

"I wanted to tell you," she explained, "But Jarvan's had me under house arrest…"

"You told him?" he asked incredulously.

Quinn shook her head.

"It's a long story… but he found out and knows that the father is a Noxian… I didn't tell him it was you because I knew he'd try to kill you."

Talon nodded, though he was only half-listening. He was still in shock about the news himself. Talon was many things, but he was definitely not father material. How could he have been so careless?

"Talon?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he was able to focus on her again. Gods, she was beautiful. It had been so long since he'd seen her, he felt as if he were seeing her for the first time all over again. Those damn feelings of his began to well inside him and he had to shake them away before they got any stronger. He needed to talk to her about all of this, to sort all of these feelings out. And he certainly couldn't do that here.

"We need to go," he said.

Quinn didn't understand as he moved across the room, grabbing her rucksack and rummaging through her drawers to acquire clothes and other belongings. She thought he would've had a more extreme reaction to the pregnancy news, but it almost seemed that he hadn't heard.

"Talon," she protested, "I'm… I'm under house arrest."

"Do you _want_ to stay here?" he asked.

"I –"

 _"Man down! Someone call for help, we have men down!"_

The panicked voice came from down the hall, and Quinn was suddenly aware of the two dead guards in her doorway. New men must have come to relieve them, she thought.

But before she could react, Talon had already thrown the rucksack down and darted to the doorway, flinging a blade through the air. A strangled gasp was soon followed by a thump as the new guard fell to the floor, unable to cry for help.

Quinn's mouth hung open as Talon ran back into the room, picking up the rucksack and running to her side.

"We gotta go now, the whole damn castle probably heard him," he hissed.

"I can't just run away!" she cried, "They'll come after me, after you!"

"Then we better get a head start."

She tried to protest, but her words fell on deaf ears as Talon lifted her from the bed, carrying her back to the balcony. He set her down, more gingerly than she'd expected, and leapt over the railing with ease, breaking his fall with a roll. Once he stood up, he outstretched his arms to Quinn, waiting impatiently.

"I'll catch you," he assured, "Come on!"

Quinn glanced down the balcony nervously. This was all happening so fast. She'd finally been reunited with Talon and now he wanted her to run away with him to who knew where. Jarvan would be furious and he'd definitely try to find her again, and if he did he wouldn't be as lenient as he had been before. She cast a glance back into her bedroom, noticing that it had become quite a mess after the storm that was Talon had gone through. The bodies of the guards remained motionless and reminded Quinn that she wasn't the only one in danger anymore.

She took a deep breath and jumped down, cursing herself for being so foolish. Talon's arms were strong and secure around her, and he showed no sign of letting her down as he began to make a dash for the trees where his horse waited.

Quinn could hear voices booming behind her, demanding that the area be scouted immediately. She closed her eyes tightly as the voices faded away, worried that they would be caught at any moment.

But Talon was quick and made it to the horse before anyone had even gotten to her window, ensuring that no one would've seen them escape. The ride back to Noxus would have to be the fastest he'd ever made, as he had to keep Quinn safe. She felt so small and fragile in his arms, making sure to keep a tight hold on her even as they rode off through the woods. Thoughts swirled through Talon's mind, a loud buzzing in his head. Only one thing was certain: he had no idea what he was doing.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Surprise, bitch. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me? Sorry this took so long, I went through a pretty severe personal crisis (depression's a bitch) so I didn't really have the motivation/will to write. I'm honestly not 100% happy with this chapter, or at least the second half anyway, but I feel like an ass making you all wait so long so here you go. I may or may not come back and edit this later since I know it could be better, but I hope this satisfies you for now. Also, a huge thank you to xXxlithiumxXx for leaving the most wonderful, in-depth review I've ever received. That was honestly one of the main reasons I forced myself to keep writing this instead of just giving it all up. Your words truly meant so much and I can't thank you enough. But yeah, not sure how long the next chapter will take as I'm not sure if I'll touch this one up first or not, but please bear with me! All of your love and support truly does push me to move forward, so thank you for that. Until next time!_


	18. Chapter 18

The ride to Noxus was terribly quiet, neither of them willing to say a word. Quinn felt Talon's chest against her back, firm and unmoving, his arms tight around her as he guided the horse forward. It seemed as if he was trying to protect her from something, despite not having encountered any threats on their journey. A light rain began to fall as they entered Noxus, prompting Talon to lean further forward in an attempt to shield her.

She wanted nothing more than to speak to him. To know what he was thinking. He hadn't reacted how she'd expected upon hearing of her pregnancy, and she could only imagine he'd been bottling up his true feelings.

"Talon…"

He shushed her immediately, squeezing her between his arms as he glanced to the side. They were deep inside Noxus now, where the walls had ears and a lone Demacian made easy prey. A few eyes wandered their way, Talon pulling Quinn closer to his chest and hunching over her to deter the suspicious watchers.

Quinn took his cue and stayed silent as the rain dripped down, trickling down Talon's chin to fall on top of her head. She thought briefly of Demacia and wondered if she'd ever be able to return. The thought brought more pain than she'd anticipated, and she found herself unable to tell whether the water running down her face was from the sky or her own eyes.

By the time they reached Du Couteau Manor, the rain had begun to pour and Quinn couldn't help but notice how Talon had begun to shiver against her. He hopped off the horse with ease and Quinn was finally able to see his face for the first time in hours. Despite the hood of his cloak being up, she could still see that his hair was soaked, clinging to the sides of his face that looked paler than she remembered.

Before she could comment on his appearance, he'd extended his arms and taken her in them, lifting her from the horse and cradling her against his chest. She gasped in surprise, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck to help hold herself up, keenly aware that he still trembled.

"Talon, I can walk," she breathed.

He either didn't hear her or didn't care, remaining silent as he began to carry her up the stairs of the mansion. For the first time, his arms weren't sturdy as she remembered, and she worried that he might drop her.

"Talon –"

She was met with a grunt as he kicked the door to the manor open, stumbling inside rather ungracefully. A few servants glanced over in surprise and, upon seeing Talon so disheveled, quickly ran to his side. They eyed Quinn suspiciously as he finally set her down on her feet, the exhaustion that overcame him forcing to lean against her for support.

"Talon!" she cried.

He shushed her again, raising his head to rest his forehead against hers.

"I'm fine," he muttered, "You're…"

Quinn felt one of his hands press against her stomach, still trembling from the cold. It was true; he hadn't imagined the small bump earlier, or the warmth that spread through his nerves at the touch. His eyes found hers and she saw something in them she'd never seen before: fear.

"What's going on here?"

The Demacian turned to the source of the voice to see a less than pleased Katarina entering the foyer, her green eyes narrowing at the sight of Quinn.

"And here I thought you were finished with her," she sighed, "A shame."

Talon seemed to regain his strength upon seeing his sister, standing up straight to pull Quinn to his side protectively.

"Not now, Kat," he grumbled, "This is none of your concern."

Katarina wrinkled her nose when Talon pulled the Demacian close, unashamed of her visible disgust.

"That's where you're wrong," she replied, "I told you not to bring her here. We can't have a Demacian this deep inside Noxus –"

"It's complicated."

Talon was quick to cut her off, obviously not in the mood to deal with her. He nudged Quinn towards one of the servants, who seemed just as annoyed about the situation as Katarina.

"Draw her a bath," he said curtly, "She'll be staying with us for a while."

That seemed to set something off in Katarina, whose eyes now burned with anger. She drew her blades and thrust one in Talon's direction menacingly. He sidestepped it with ease, much to his sister's frustration.

"Like hell she is!" she hissed.

"Kat –"

"If you think I'm going to let your little _whore_ stay here another minute, then –"

The room went silent as all eyes watched Talon lunge forward with impressive speed to wrap his hand around Katarina's throat, a move that even caught the redhead off guard, startling her enough to make her drop one of her blades.

Quinn couldn't see Talon's face from this angle, but hearing his voice sent a chill down her spine.

" _Never_ call her that again, or I will remove your tongue with my blade."

All of the servants looked on in horror, clearly unaccustomed to such violence between the two. From what Quinn knew, Talon didn't always get along with his sisters, but he'd never dare to lay a hand on one.

As if to prove it, Katarina spit into Talon's face, a horrified gasp escaping one of the younger servants. Talon didn't reply, releasing his hold on his sister to wipe away the spit that now trickled down his cheek.

"Ungrateful street rat," she snapped, "How dare you –"

"I must speak with my sister alone."

Talon spoke more to the servants than to Katarina herself, his eyes settling on a rather terrified Quinn. The Demacian couldn't help but notice the redhead's eyes boring into her as well, forcing her to look down at her feet sheepishly.

"Leave us," Talon continued, "And draw her a damn bath already."

Afraid to upset him any further, the servants scrambled to escape the room and avoid his wrath. One of the female servants took Quinn by the arm and began to drag her away. The Demacian protested, struggling to break free and return to Talon's side.

"Go," he insisted, "I'll see you in a bit."

He waited until Quinn and the servants had left before heaving a sigh, glancing over at Katarina. Her arms were folded across her chest, a scowl on her normally relaxed face.

"I hate it when you pull shit like that," she grumbled.

"I had to get them out of here quickly," he replied, "Needed to talk to you alone."

"About the girl, I assume."

Talon nodded and Katarina waited expectantly for him to explain himself. There wasn't exactly an easy way to do so, he realized. A shiver rippled down his spine, an unwelcome reminder that he was still soaking wet from the rain.

"You should probably get out of those clothes," Kat huffed, "You're gonna catch a cold and –"

"She's pregnant."

He couldn't say he was surprised when she snorted in response, allowing a laugh to escape her lips. That was the last thing she'd expect to hear from him and, on another occasion, he might've said something similar as a prank. But this was all too real.

"Talon, please," she said through her laughter, "After that dramatic shit you just pulled, now is hardly the time for jokes."

"I'm not joking."

The laughter fell from her lips as she saw the intensity in Talon's eyes for a brief moment, only for him to look away in what she could only imagine was shame. Her mouth opened to speak, but she found herself in the rare situation of being speechless.

Thoughts ran through Talon's mind as what felt like years passed in silence. He'd considered not telling her, trying to keep Quinn a secret, but the thought became too overwhelming when he realized he had no idea what to do. Kat had always been there for him, sometimes in her own unusual way, but she was one of the few people that understood him. So maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to help. If not…

"Go take a bath."

He glanced up at her confused.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

Katarina rolled her eyes as she repeated herself.

"We have a lot to talk about," she explained, "And I don't need you freezing to death in the middle of our conversation."

She reached out to brush away some of the wet hair that still clung to his face, reminding him that he was in fact still drenched from the rain. Talon jerked his head back instinctively, never one to be fond of such close touching (except from perhaps Quinn). The redhead rolled her eyes again, playfully shoving his face away as she walked past him.

"I'll meet you in the study," she called over her shoulder, "And… don't bring the girl. This is a Du Couteau matter."

* * *

Quinn stared up at the ceiling helplessly, her hands resting atop her stomach as she soaked in the oversized bath she'd been escorted to. The servants hadn't said a word to her, merely led her to the room and started the water, their eyes creased in suspicion the whole time. It was quite large for a guest room, even more lavish than the one she'd had in the citadel, though she supposed that was because they needed to keep them modest in order to fit so many for all the Vanguard members.

She thought she heard a sound and sat up to glance at the door. When no one entered or spoke, she sunk back into the water with a heavy sigh.

All she wanted was to speak with Talon. He'd hardly said a word to her on the ride here, even though she'd told him of her situation. She had assumed he'd have at least some kind of reaction, whether it was to lecture her or congratulate her. She wasn't prepared for this horrible, unending nothingness.

The whole time she'd been stuck under house arrest she'd thought of him. Wondering what he was doing, hoping that he would somehow understand why she couldn't return to him, praying that he would forgive her. Without Talon…

A tear rolled down her cheek, but she didn't bother to wipe it away.

Demacia had shunned her; she would never be able to return to her home, to see the few friends she had, her parents, Valor…

Talon was all she had left.

There was a knock, one she didn't imagine, and she sat up again, rubbing the back of her hand against her cheek to wash away her sadness.

"Yes?" she called out in a voice she could hardly recognize as her own.

Had she always sounded so pitiful?

"It's me."

Quinn was caught off guard at the sound of his voice, but she didn't ignore the small wave of relief that coursed over her body.

"Come in."

The door creaked open and Talon entered, closing it behind him more gently than she'd expected. It looked as if he'd taken a bath, as his hair was now only damp and he'd changed into plain clothes. How long had she been in this tub, she wondered, for him to have finished before her?

He stayed close to the door to Quinn's disappointment, almost as if he was afraid of getting too close to her. They locked eyes for a moment, only to both glance away embarrassed, as if it was the first time they'd been alone together. An unsure beat of silence passed before Talon cleared his throat.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Quinn looked back at him, trying to turn the sobs that were trying to escape into some kind of forced laughter.

"I suppose… I'm alive at least."

Talon furrowed his brows in concern and opened his mouth to reply, only to shut it before the words could spill out. Another uncomfortable pause went by before he was able to decide on what he wanted to say.

"If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. You're a guest here."

"I don't think Katarina will let me stay…" she began to protest.

"I'm going to speak with her now," he explained, "I just wanted to… make sure you're okay."

And that was enough to make Quinn's heart flutter. The familiar concern, as distant as it was, reminded her just how deeply she cared for him and how much she'd missed him.

"Talon, I…"

"We'll talk later. Take it easy, alright?"

The sudden emotion in her voice had unnerved him and he knew he had to escape quickly before he fell apart at her feet. Quinn just nodded in response, watching him until the door had closed behind him completely.

The tears returned, more freely this time as she began to sink deeper into the water, bringing her head under the surface to completely submerge herself. She spoke to no one in particular, not caring that she couldn't be heard beneath the water.

"What am I going to do?"

* * *

"What's _she_ doing here?"

Talon's voice was less than amused as he entered the study, still trying to regain his nerves after seeing Quinn so vulnerable. He'd only been expecting Katarina, but instead there were two women waiting for him, a nasty grin forming on the other as he entered the room.

"I told you it's a Du Couteau matter," Kat answered, "Of course she is going to be here."

* * *

 _Hey guys, guess what? I'm not dead! Sorry it's taken me so long to update this, a lot of stuff has been going on in life and things were crazy. I honestly didn't want to publish this chapter as it is now, as I feel I can add more to it, but I'm tired of making you all wait. So I decided to end at this point for now, just to give you guys at least something for staying with me so long. I will admit, my creative juices aren't really flowing for this fic right now, so I can't say when I'll update again, but I'll try not to make you wait too long. Thank you all so much for your kind words and support, it really means a lot. I hope to see you again soon! Please feel free to leave a review as well, they really do mean the world to me._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Play nice, Talon," Katarina sighed.

The door swung shut behind him as he crossed his arms in front of his chest, keeping his eyes on the other woman. She seemed horribly amused, a smile on her lips and her brows raised as she shared Talon's gaze, the tip of her tail flicking back and forth methodically.

"Kat told me the news," Cassiopeia sighed, "It's funny, I always thought that stupid captain would knock our dear sister up eventually, but you had to go and be an overachiever. Bravo."

Katarina glanced down for but a moment, trying to hide the discomfort on her face from her sister's remark, only to look back up at Talon, anticipating his response. Only he remained silent, keeping his gaze with Cassiopeia even, a fire slowly smoldering in his eyes.

That seemed to annoy Cassiopeia, her tail twitching as her face morphed into a scowl. Her and Talon hadn't gotten along ever since her return from Shurima, and she almost seemed to enjoy getting a rise out of him, actively antagonizing him whenever they crossed paths. Talon was well aware of this and had begun to adapt by not responding to her at all. If he didn't give her a reaction, she didn't get what she wanted.

The snake woman slithered her way over to Talon, circling him once so that her tail wrapped around the base of his legs, something she knew he hated. His visible shudder boosted Cassiopeia's confidence a bit and she leaned in close to his ear, being sure to let her forked tongue flick against his ear as she spoke.

"I'd be more excited about becoming an auntie if your child wasn't going to be a filthy half-breed."

That was enough to wear down his resolve, a grin returning to her face as he shoved her away from him, stepping over her tail to stand beside Katarina. His eyes were ablaze now and he was quite visibly holding himself back from doing something violent. He'd gotten used to Cassiopeia's insults and vague threats, but hearing her talk about Quinn like that was different.

"Speaking of the little skank," Cassiopeia continued, "Where is she? I figured this discussion concerns her as well."

Katarina was able to grab Talon's arm before he could take a step forward, knowing very well that Cassiopeia was playing a dangerous game at this point. She'd been the peacemaker of the family ever since their father had disappeared, but Cassiopeia and Talon's animosity toward each other had only worsened, and Katarina feared that one of them would soon be killed by the other.

"This is a Du Couteau matter," Katarina answered smoothly, "The Demacian will be dealt with once we determine how to approach this… situation."

Talon yanked his arm from Katarina's grasp and mumbled something under his breath, his eyes narrowing as Cassiopeia's lips curled up even more, her eyes gleaming with cruel mischief.

"The answer's obvious, is it not?" she asked.

Without waiting for either sibling to respond, she continued.

"We get rid of her. If word gets out that Talon's harboring a Demacian lover here, one that bears his child, then the Du Couteau name will be ruined."

"Why you –" Talon started, only to be cut off by his older sister.

"She has a point."

The silence that followed was painfully uncomfortable. Cassiopeia hadn't expected her sister to agree with her, and neither had Talon. Eventually someone had to speak, and it was Talon who broke the tension.

"No one has to know."

Cassiopeia let out a shrill laugh, one laced with malice as she turned her nose up at him.

"Noxus has eyes and ears everywhere," she scoffed, "You should know that better than anyone, dear brother."

Talon clenched his fists tightly and bit his tongue, the faintest taste of something metallic playing on his taste buds as a small amount of blood sprung forth.

She was right. She was right and he hated it. There was little privacy when it came to Noxian nobility, especially with the Du Couteau's. After Marcus' disappearance under unexplained circumstances and the fact that the family had actively opposed Swain's leadership, a large target was placed on their backs, one they couldn't ignore.

"She can't stay here," Katarina said quietly, "If Swain finds out, he'll kill you both and the Du Couteau's will lose everything."

To be honest, Talon didn't really care about the possibility of dying. He'd committed atrocities and he knew that they would catch up to him eventually. But Quinn hadn't, she didn't deserve this. He'd brought her into this mess, he had to get her out.

"She has nowhere to go," he replied, "Jarvan is probably hunting her down as we speak. All of Demacia will be looking for her, they think she's a traitor."

"She is," Cassiopeia hissed, "As are you."

Katarina sighed, placing a hand on Talon's shoulder. It almost seemed to be an attempt at comforting him rather than restraining him, her touch unusually gentle as she looked for his gaze.

"Take her away from here. Somewhere safe."

Cassiopeia scoffed, seemingly at the idea of there being somewhere "safe" in Valoran. Noxus had spies all over the continent, making it nearly impossible to avoid Swain's eye.

Talon on the other hand seemed surprised at Katarina's suggestion. It was the obvious answer, to leave, but he hadn't expected her to be so willing. Piltover would probably be a relatively safe option, its advanced technology meant better security, better ways to hide. It was something to consider at the very least.

Seeing Talon nod allowed Katarina a sigh of relief. This could be dealt with quickly and they could just return to their normal lives, as if nothing had happened.

"Good," she said, "We'll determine the best location as soon as possible. Once you've taken her there, you'll return to Noxus and we can carry on with our lives."

A knot twisted in Talon's stomach. Return to Noxus without Quinn, leave her alone in an unknown land to raise _his_ child by herself…

"What's the matter?" Cassiopeia's voice cut into his thoughts, "You want to run off and play make-believe family with your little dove?"

Her laugh was shrill enough to make his ears ring, but he managed to avoid any kind of reaction. Katarina looked at him, surprised when he didn't laugh in return. The idea of being domestic and having a family was something Talon had often voiced a distaste for, claiming he didn't have time for such trivial things. And yet here he was, silent in the face of his accuser, unable to rebuff her.

"We need you, Talon," Katarina said softly, "We've been making progress in finding father because of you."

The knot in his stomach twisted further. She was right. He'd poured himself into the investigation over the past month after he'd lost touch with Quinn. They'd made some small leads and there was a possibility that there was a contact that knew where Marcus was.

"Cass and I will keep working on things until you get back. Depending on where you take her, it could take a little while, but the sooner you're back the better."

Talon opened his mouth to respond, but his words failed him. What was he supposed to say in this situation? Sure, he'd go and take this woman, whose life he'd ruined, to some foreign land and abandon her with his child? And why did it matter to him anyways? He'd abandoned people before, this was nothing new.

"Unless," Cassiopeia's voice interrupted his thoughts, "You're madly in love with her and want to run away and start a new life with her."

Her tone was teasing, but there was a sinister look in her eyes as she stared into his soul, one that knew the truth. She was waiting for him to cave, to admit that he was weak and had emotions. To abandon Noxus and his family. To give up on Marcus.

Talon straightened his back, meeting Cassiopeia's intense stare.

"I'll return as soon as I know she's safe."

* * *

Lux ran as fast as her feet could carry her. The entire citadel had been woken by a distress signal, one that had guards sprinting from their posts to handle the situation.

Lux had managed to put a robe on and peek out her door trying to understand the situation. In her half-asleep mindset, it took her a moment to realize where all the guards were running. They were on her floor, running to the end of the hall. To Quinn's room.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd run so fast.

The past several weeks had been difficult for her after hearing that her closest friend was being placed under house arrest on suspicion of treason. Lux knew Quinn well and she knew that Quinn would never betray Demacia, but Jarvan was convinced. He'd claimed she'd grown close to a high ranking Noxian official and had leaked intel, but Lux had a hard time believing it.

When she found out that she was pregnant, it began to make a bit more sense. Quinn had told her about her supposed "boyfriend" but had kept it relatively secret. Was it truly because he was Noxian and she was his source of information? Lux didn't want to believe it.

Quinn hadn't been allowed out of her room since her arrest, so Lux never had the chance to see or speak to her since there were always guards posted in front of her door. She just wanted to know the truth.

And now she looked upon three dead bodies lying in front of her friend's door, pools of blood coating the stone floor.

Garen was there, as he was always the first to arrive to such things, and was quick to rush to Lux's side, turning her away from the violent scene.

"Return to your room, this is under control," he said in a surprisingly soft tone, "I don't want you to see this."

"Quinn? Is Quinn alright?"

It was all Lux could manage to say. She couldn't believe it. There was no way Quinn could do this, something must've happened.

When Garen didn't respond, Lux panicked and bolted from Garen's grasp, running into Quinn's room.

"Lux, wait!" Garen called.

But she'd already entered the room. There was more blood, a trail that led to the bed, but it laid empty, Quinn nowhere to be seen.

Jarvan IV inspected the trail of blood and a few other guards were examining the area, but that was all. The prince looked up at the sound of Lux's footsteps, his face turning grim.

"Luxanna, you should –"

"What happened?" she asked, her voice breaking on a sob.

Jarvan got to his feet and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to console her.

"We're not sure," he admitted, "But we think… someone's taken her."

His voice turned to a growl with the last words, his eyes narrowing as he glanced back at the trail of blood.

"Taken her?" Lux asked, "What do… what do you mean?"

"Her Noxian partner, most likely. Came to take back what was his."

His nose wrinkled in disgust as he turned away, going back to inspect the scene further.

Lux stood there dumbfounded.

Noxian partner? The man she'd committed treason for? Why would he come back to save her? She'd been caught, there was no need to risk his life to get her back for some intel.

She found herself wandering the room, eyes glancing over but not really taking in any of her surroundings. The wardrobe had been flung open and rummaged through, suggesting that the kidnapper had been looking for something in there, but Lux couldn't think of anything Quinn had that a Noxian wanted.

Her feet carried her to the wall of art that Quinn had made, her eyes lazily glossing over each one. She'd always loved Quinn's art and told her that she should pursue a career in it if she ever left the military. Quinn had laughed and said that would never happen, she'd serve Demacia until the day she died.

There was one of the whole Vanguard that made the corners of Lux's lips turn up ever so slightly. Seeing all of them together reminded her of not so long ago, when they trained together in the fields, Lux complaining about combat training while Shyvanna ran laps around them. What she wouldn't give for that again.

As she began to turn back to Jarvan, one sketch in particular caught her eye. It was shoved into the corner, almost as if Quinn had been trying to hide it. Lux peeled back one of the portraits that partially covered it, eyes widening at what she saw.

It was a sketch of a man, and while he seemed rather grumpy, Lux could tell that he was terribly handsome, something Quinn had captured well. The detail was impeccable and thoughtful, passion behind every strand of hair, curve of his face. Beneath the drawing, in Quinn's perfect penmanship, read "The Blade's Shadow."

The Blade's Shadow was common knowledge amongst Demacians, as he was one of their prime targets due to his several successful assassinations, but his identity was a mystery, something no one had ever been able to figure out.

And Lux recognized him. The ball, the man who had asked Quinn to dance, the one who seemed so infatuated with her…

"Lux?"

Jarvan's voice almost caused Lux to jump out of her skin, but she managed to maintain composure. With one swift pull, she tore the drawing off the wall and clenched it tightly, putting her hands behind her back as she turned to face Jarvan. He'd noticed her wandering and had grown concerned.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

The drawing burned in Lux's hand, her skin stinging with what felt like roaring flames. She managed to offer a small nod before glancing down at the floor.

"I… I think this is all a bit much for me," she admitted, "I think I'll return to my room."

Jarvan nodded sympathetically, giving her another pat on the shoulder.

"I understand this is a lot for you. Please, get some rest."

Lux nodded, quickly stuffing her hands into the pockets of her robe before hurrying back to her room.

 _Quinn, what have you done?_

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Surprise **,** I'm not dead._


End file.
